The Emperor's Daughter
by Demonyca
Summary: Life can change in the blink of an eye and Elena discovers this first hand when the delivery of a package changes her world forever. Delena with a twist, as per usual with my stories. There will be smut, bad language and fighting so rated M for a reason!
1. Prologue

A/N: Yes, I know I have a bunch of other stories going on but this is what happens when you have the attention span of a gnat and an overactive imagination. So, I've been working on this idea alongside my other stories for a while now and have quite a few chapters written out. I'm a total sci fi nerd/geek so this story is the result of that. I hope you all like it and don't worry, I promise I'll be finishing all my stories, even if it will take a while since they seem to get more and more convoluted every time I sit down to write out another chapter LOL…

A/N2: As if it were necessary to mention but here we go. I don't own anything but I'd be happy to babysit Damon if he ever gets to be too much in one of his darker moods LOL…

_A long time ago, in a galaxy not so far away…_

The woman stared out into the darkness of space, watching as the fleet of destroyers converged on the small satellite. She saw the flash of lights, indicating they were powering up their weapons and moments later she watched them fire. The satellite disappeared in an explosion of light, the screams and pain of the dying slamming into her, bringing tears to her eyes.

She continued to stare as the smoke and dust cleared, debris floating away from the center of the explosion the only evidence of a once-proud race, and the tears she had been holding back rolled down her cheeks. The satellite was gone along with the last of her people. Destroyed in the blink of an eye. And for what? For nothing.

"Not for nothing, sister," a feminine voice whispered. She turned to look at the woman sitting next to her.

"Nothing is worth this, Lei," she replied. Her sister shook her head.

"You're wrong. You are the last hope this Galaxy has," Leianhwe said.

"No, I am nothing," she whispered.

Leianhwe glared at her. "Don't you dare," she hissed. "Don't you dare make their sacrifice meaningless!"

"Lei, I can't do this anymore," she whispered. "I've been fighting for too long. And for what? Look," she said gesturing to the view before them, "everything I fought for is dead!"

"No! They aren't. There are hundreds, thousands of worlds who depend on us. How many would have died if not for the Rebellion? How many would have perished if we hadn't ensured food and aid? How many would have died at the hands of Emperor and his lackeys if it weren't for us?" Leianhwe was almost screaming by that point.

"I have been fighting for two _pakin_ thousand years," she snarled. "Don't you lecture me! You've only been around for a hundred of those years and you have no fucking idea! I have watched my best friends die. I have held them in my arms as their life slipped away and all because they listened to the foolish ramblings of an old man who convinced them that I would be the one to bring down the Empire. Well, look at that, it's been two thousand years and we're still at square one!"

"You are a fool! No one died for you! Everything we sacrifice is so that one day our children, our descendants may breathe free air and not have to live in terror!" Leianhwe shouted. "And you are the one who has always kept us going, giving us the hope and strength we need to get in those fucking ships every day and fight! You survived the Emperor," she whispered. "You were locked up in a cell and tortured for decades and yet you survived. You escaped and you showed us that we didn't have to take it lying down, that we could fight!"

She laughed, a sound that was chilling and menacing. She looked at Leianhwe, anger overtaking the sadness in her eyes. "He will pay for this," she snarled. "Karecjin Al'Vyratin will pay with his blood. I will not rest until he lays dead at my feet, his heart in my hand and the _Dvasji Galactic Empire_ in shambles."

Leianhwe nodded her head. She had hated being so harsh with her sister. She couldn't imagine what she had been through and she knew it was because of her that most of them were alive. But she couldn't let her give up. The fate of too many rested in her hands. A part of her had known the woman who was the Rebellion's symbol of hope and freedom would not give up but seeing her sister so emotionless had scared her. But she was back and she knew it was only a matter of time before the Emperor fell.

"We'll have to go into hiding," Leianhwe voiced what they both knew out loud. "Someone betrayed us and they got too close this time. We will have to hide until the traitor is found."

Her sister nodded and looked down at the controls. She brought up a star chart of a distant quadrant, a solar system with eight planets and a yellow sun being displayed prominently. "Ramsjehin once told me, many years ago, that there would be a time when I would have to hide. He told me that this is where I needed to go," she said with a whisper, pointing to the blue and green planet that was third from the sun.

Leianhwe nodded. "Then that's where we shall go," she said softly as she began to punch the coordinates into the nav-computer. "Do not worry, sister. Our people will one day be avenged," she whispered as the ship turned, the engines whining, indicating the hyper-drive was powering up. Seconds later, they were streaking through space, on their way to a completely unknown planet and an uncertain future.


	2. Chapter 1

Elena paced the living room of the boarding house, ignoring the crackling fire. She'd stop every minute or so, hoping to hear something. Anything. Any small sound to break the looming silence and prove she wasn't alone in the huge house. But deafening silence was all that met her ears.

She turned back to look at the roaring flames, gritting her teeth. If anything went wrong tonight… No, she couldn't think like that. She wouldn't think like that. Damn Damon for always being the hero. Why did he have to be the one to stake Klaus? That's why they had woken Mikael up. Okay, they had woken Papa Original, as Damon sarcastically called him, to get the weapon to kill Klaus but still… If he was up and walking around, they might as well use him.

She had a really bad feeling about this and if anything happened to Damon, she'd kill him. If he let himself get hurt, she was going to smack the stupid smirk off his face, kiss the ever-living daylights out of him and then kill him. Sounded good, Elena nodded to herself confidently. Definitely a plan.

Some might wonder at her obsession over Damon but the fact was that since her eighteenth birthday, a few weeks ago, she had come to some rather interesting conclusions. As if turning eighteen flipped a special switch inside her that would no longer allow her to deny what was right in front of her face, she had come to some realizations.

The first one was that Damon had absolutely no sense of self-preservation when it came to her. Seriously, none at all! That was one thing they were going to have to discuss. The second was that she loved Stefan. Third that she was in love with Damon and last but certainly in no way least, she was going crazy. Not just slightly upset because of everything that was going on in her life with Klaus but honest-to-God insane!

But, backing up a bit to the more interesting parts. She had finally figured out what her heart had been trying to tell her for a while but she had been wallowing in too much guilt to see the signs. She loved Stefan but she wasn't in love with him. She didn't think she had ever really been in love with him, if she were completely honest with herself. And that's where the guilt came from. She felt completely rotten that she had taken advantage of him so many times to protect her and then his giving himself up for Damon, to save his life. It made her feel even worse because at the time, in her desperation and panic, if he had asked her what to do, she would have told him to get his ass moving and bring the cure. They could deal with Klaus later.

She chuckled quietly, though the sound held little humor. It didn't even have anything to do with learning of his Ripper past or having him try and rip out her throat. Not even the fact that he was acting like a first rate dick – though, to be honest, he was kind of growing on her. The reason she knew she didn't love Stefan, at least not how he wanted, was because she had come to the mind-blowing, heart-wrenching conclusion that she was in love with Damon.

And it wasn't a gradual conclusion, like noting little signs here and there, then putting it all together and figuring it out, a bit like a light bulb coming on. No, this had been like being in a Wile E. Coyote cartoon and having an anvil dropped on her head. Or being hit in the face with a huge-ass frying pan.

She remembered exactly when it had happened. It had been that afternoon when she had begged Damon to help her lock Stefan up, the afternoon of "the Touch" as she now referred to it. When he had grabbed her palm and placed it over his chest, her fingers had itched to go exploring. When he had pulled her flush against him, his fingers touching her, she had almost screamed in frustration that he didn't go exploring. She'd felt the need to soften against him, to find shelter in his arms, to feel more of that electricity that arced between them every time they touched. And then he was turning her around, much to her annoyance at the loss of contact, telling her some crap or other about protecting her while her mind was firmly lodged in the gutter and her eyes were glued to his. After a very difficult journey past his lips of course. Gods, didn't the man realize what amazing lips he had?

And after she had successfully managed to get past his lips and locked eyes with his, it hit her with the force of an eighteen wheeler. She loved the idiot. She really, really was in love with Damon Salvatore. Partially listening to his speech about no one hurting her, not even his brother and so on and so forth – just in case he ever decided to test her whether she had been listening or not – she studied his features and realized that she would be sick, physically sick if anything happened to him.

If he had gone to Klaus instead of Stefan, she was ashamed to say that she wouldn't have slept until she found him. And she would have found a way to get him away from the hybrid, even if it meant ripping Klaus' spine out, vervaining Damon and then tying him to a bed and having her way with him until he saw the light and came back to her.

That was the moment she realized that she would do anything for the dolt because she loved him. That was when she realized why she got so pissed off whenever he excluded her out of their plans to keep her alive, which usually involved him standing front and center, in danger. And that was when she realized that many of the occasions she had tried to misguidedly sacrifice herself – not some of her better moments, she had to admit – she had done it because it was the only way she could keep him safe, not just her friends and family.

She had to chuckle thinking of Damon referring to her love with Stefan as epic. Yeah, it was epic alright. Epically misguided. Stefan had first used her as a replacement for Katherine and then as an anchor to remind himself he needed to stay on the "good path", while she had used him to learn how to live again, albeit slowly. It was easier with Stefan because he never made her question her decisions or her feelings. He let her hide behind him, hide from life, from herself, from what she truly wanted. And then he had left and she started to discover she didn't need to hide behind him, she didn't need to hide from life and Damon made damn sure she couldn't hide from herself or what she felt, even if he didn't realize it.

Despite her realization, she hadn't made a move yet. She was certain Damon wanted her – maybe. She remembered the moment he had told her he wanted her to remember how she felt when his brother got back. It still gave her goose bumps. But at the same time, they were dealing with a much bigger issue. Getting his brother back. Stefan may have been her boyfriend but he was Damon's brother and it would be beyond callous for her to suddenly switch allegiances, especially after what they had both been through for her. She also didn't want Damon coming up with the stupid idea that she was on the rebound and was just turning to him for comfort. Surprisingly, she knew how he thought, probably better than he did at times.

The night of the bonfire came to mind and she remembered Stefan accusing her of being jealous that Damon was 'getting his flirt on.' She had denied it, of course, but in actual fact she had been so royally annoyed that if she'd had a dagger handy, she would have marched right up to the blond bimbo and stabbed her faster than she could say boo, no matter who was watching. She had wanted to talk to Stefan right then and there about her feelings for Damon. It would have been so easy to do it. Stefan had no emotions so he'd probably just have shrugged it off without a care. But she couldn't help to think of how it would affect him when he switched his emotions back on.

She was such a damn sap. Not going after what she really wanted because Klaus had forced Stefan to turn his emotions off and she felt bad that if she told him she was in love with Damon, he wouldn't turn them back on. Then again, she really needed to get a little more information on how compulsion worked. She remembered Klaus telling Stefan to turn his emotions off. She never heard him say to keep them off. Definitely needed a little more research, she made a mental note to herself.

Oh, well. Such was life. She'd wait. It wouldn't be long anyway. After tonight, Klaus would be dead, Stefan would be free and in a little while she could sort it all out. That was if she didn't lose her mind until then.

She had been extremely serious with the bit about losing her mind. Ever since her eighteenth birthday, she had been having the most bizarre dreams and "episodes." At first, it had only been a few flashes during her dreams. Flying through space. Explosions. Screams. She had thought it was simply a result of watching too much sci fi lately.

But then they got more detailed. She could see ships, actually see herself piloting, watching a fleet of ships destroying a satellite of sorts, hearing the screams of the dying. She'd wake up in a sweat with a single thought: "the last of my people." And that wasn't it. It was starting to happen while she was awake as well. She'd zone out for half a minute, seeing herself laughing and smiling with people she had never seen before, in a setting she didn't quite understand.

Then there was the small matter of these vicious and ruthless tendencies she was displaying. At first, she had attributed it all to her training with Ric. That was all well and good, but when she had zoned out during firearms training and had shot every bullet in the gun dead center, had reloaded and emptied another clip in under ten seconds, she had been just as astounded as Ric.

Then she had been practicing with Damon, trying to stake him while Ric studied the photos from the cave walls. It hadn't been anything monumental but she had suddenly gotten seriously irritated that she couldn't seem to do anything to Damon. When he had grabbed hold of the stake, holding her arms in an uncomfortable position, her brain seemed to have gone into a happy place because suddenly she had brought her elbow around, smacked Damon in the throat hard enough to surprise him and make him double over in discomfort. She had proceeded to bring her knee up, slamming him hard in the nose, while grabbing the stake. In less time than she could formulate a thought, she was already behind Damon, with the stake in the exact position he had revealed to her a few days earlier. Just under the ribs, to the side of the spin was the way to a vampire's heart and she had positioned the stake at the perfect angle, knowing all it would take was a little shove and he'd be in massive pain, if not dead.

Ric had simply stared, Damon had raised an eyebrow and said he hadn't realized Ric was that good a teacher and she… well she had decided to simply add it to the list of insane occurrences in her life. Yup, she was definitely going insane, around the bend, losing the plot or whatever else one wanted to call it.

Just then she heard the front door slam and she jumped, her heart racing. Damn, doors slamming did not bode well. Damon stalked in and marched over to the bottle of bourbon, drinking down a shot before pouring another one. Only then did he actually look up at her. Not good, she thought to herself.

"We failed, Elena. No, I failed," he ground out, as if trying to convince both of them.

"What happened Damon?" she asked, though she was incredibly relieved to see he was still in one walking piece and hadn't had a close encounter with a stake. She probably shouldn't mention it, though.

"I don't know. We thought of everything. Mikael turning against us. Klaus having hybrids. We brought Katherine in so you wouldn't be in danger. We thought of everything," he said, his voice rising in irritation.

"We were counting on Stefan's need to be free. On the fact that he wanted Klaus dead as much as we did," Elena said, the need to cringe almost overwhelming. She could see it stamped on Damon's features. He blamed himself. He felt it was his fault that he had let Stefan stop him, that he hadn't expected his brother to betray them. "Where's Katherine?" she asked suddenly. Probably in the Bahamas by now, she answered silently.

Sure enough, Damon answered angrily. "She ran for the hills as soon as it was over. And I don't blame her. Klaus would have crushed her," he said as he stalked around the couch. He looked at Elena and didn't know what was worse, the fact that he had failed dismally or the fact that she didn't blame him. Hell, he blamed him. He was waiting for the look of disappointment to appear on her features. Any moment now… Nothing. Crap! It only made him feel worse, made him feel even less worthy of the trust she placed in him.

"I had him, Elena. I had Klaus. This could have all been over," he snarled, throwing the bottle of bourbon into the fireplace, watching in satisfaction as the flames leaped and roared, consuming the alcohol.

Her heart constricted, watching how angry he was with himself. It wasn't his fault and the sooner he got that through his thick skull, the better. He had to stop taking responsibility for everything that went pear-shaped. So, she walked over to him and grabbed his arm gently. He yanked it away from her violently and she glared.

Damon simply didn't want her touching him. If she did, he'd feel ten times worse. He was supposed to have saved her tonight. He was supposed to have rid her of Klaus the psychopath and he had failed abjectly. And she was trying to comfort him? Oh no, it was totally and completely wrong.

Elena was having none of it. She grabbed hold of his arm again and turned him around this time, her hands going up to hold on to his neck, one sliding up a little higher to almost cup his cheek. She tried to hide the little shudder that went through her at the contact.

"It wasn't your fault," she said softly. "We'll survive this, we always do." At his doubtful expression and to stop herself from saying to hell with everything and kissing him with every ounce of raw lust that was doing the backstroke in her bloodstream right now she said, "trust me." Wow! Great going Elena. Very inspirational, she thought sarcastically.

His gaze softened and the words that followed broke her heart. "We're never getting Stefan back," he said. "You know that." How could she not know that? He had betrayed them to save Klaus. And he had left, even though he was no longer under compulsion. She hesitated to say what needed to be said. It hurt her to let go of Stefan, who had been there for her, through so much. And she knew it would hurt Damon to have to let go of his brother.

"Then we let him go," she said, her voice strong. "Okay?" she asked. "We let him go," she repeated. But I'll get him back for you, even if it takes forever, she added silently. If there's a way, I'll bring him back to you, to us. She couldn't – wouldn't – stand by and watch Damon blame himself for Stefan's fate.

He nodded and his phone rang. She reluctantly let go of him as he answered.

"Not interested in a play-by-play of our failure, Katherine," he said. Oh joy, if it wasn't the selfish bitch herself. Yeah, she had come through. She had stood in for her so she wouldn't get a knife in the back, which was exactly what happened, but still… The woman had issues, major ones. Not least of which was this annoying habit of sniffing around Damon.

Moments later, Damon ended the call and turned away from her, heading over to pour another drink. She simply watched him, trying to decide what to do. She shrugged. "Pour me one, please," she said to him. At his look of surprise she shrugged again. "Isn't much we can do tonight," she said simply and he nodded.

He handed her the glass and she took a sip, closing her eyes and tilting her head back to enjoy the fiery trail of the bourbon as it made its way down into her stomach. At some point she had started enjoying it. Probably had to do with being around Damon so much. She opened her eyes and saw Damon watching her intently, a strange look on his face.

She looked around and realized how stupid it was for them both to be standing, so she sat down on the carpet, in front of the fireplace, leaning back on her elbows. "Sit down, Damon. You're too tall and I'll break my neck trying to look at you like this," she said. Damon dropped to the floor and stared at her.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. Elena's eyes flew to his face. He looked completely dejected, the whole weight of the world on his shoulders. She didn't like this. She couldn't deal with a sad Damon right now. She needed him angry or she'd end up breaking down, gathering him in her arms and holding him until the creases of worry and sadness on his face smoothed out. And it certainly wasn't the moment for it.

"What for?" she asked, her tone a little colder than she had intended. He obviously sensed it and he quickly looked at her.

Damon felt his heart shatter. If he had been alive, he knew that at this very moment, he wouldn't have been able to draw breath into his lungs, his throat had constricted so much. She blamed him. He was the reason for their failure, the reason Stefan wasn't holding her right now. He was such a fuck up! He couldn't even do one thing right!

"For being a complete fuck up!" he snarled, anger and disgust at himself taking over. "For screwing up the one chance you had at freedom! For not bringing my brother back…" he continued to rail.

"Damon, stop it!" Elena snapped, interrupting him. Whatever he thought, he was not to blame. Definitely not for what had happened that evening and certainly not for Klaus' actions. For one split second she wondered if she was doing the right thing. She wondered if hiding her true feelings from him was the right decision. Then an image of Katherine flashed in her mind and reinforced her decision. She would wait. Damon needed to know her feelings for him were real and not the product of Stefan abandoning her. And she definitely needed to set things right with Stefan, even if he had already, technically, broken up with her. "You are not to blame and you are definitely not a fuck up," she told him, on the verge of slapping him for putting himself down so much.

"Elena, I had the damn stake buried in his gut! I was so damn close but instead of Klaus being ashes, Mikael's dead and we lost the one thing that could kill Klaus!"

"Damon," she said with a sigh, "I'm sorry to disappoint you but I really can't work up the energy right now to be angry at you because you couldn't see into the future." She shrugged and looked back at the flames dancing in the fireplace. How could she tell him that she was too happy he was alive to worry about Klaus? How could she tell him that she had been practically paralyzed with fear that Mikael would turn on them and Damon would end up with a stake in his heart or werewolf bait? She couldn't.

Damon opened his mouth to say something but then snapped it shut. He looked at her curiously. "Why aren't you … I don't know…" he said, unsure how to ask why she wasn't ranting and raging at him, screaming at him that he was incompetent and he'd screwed up their one chance to get rid of Klaus.

Elena shrugged. "Why aren't I screaming and crying?" she asked and he nodded. "Because it's not going to do any good," she replied and he stared in surprise. "Why aren't I ranting and raving at my fate as the doppelganger?" he nodded again. "Because it's not going to change anything."

"Who kidnapped the real Elena?" he asked jokingly, a bit of the anger and self-recrimination fading from his features. She just grinned.

"No one, I just decided getting angry and even is a lot more productive than complaining about my fate," she said with a smile.

"Careful, Elena. You're starting to sound like me," Damon said warningly. "We wouldn't want that, would we?"

"I don't know, Damon. I have to admit you do have your moments," she said with a small smile. She felt like smacking her head against a wall. She wanted him. No, that was wrong. She had gone way past want into desperate need territory but she was afraid the timing was wrong, again. Oh, you know, let's let your brother go, who sacrificed himself in the first place to save your life, and by the way, I want to jump your bones because I'm in love with you. No pressure, even if I'm your brother's ex and we broke up under duress because of a homicidal hybrid. Yay! She was sure it would go over well. So, she kept quiet.

"Wow! Now I am surprised," he replied with a smirk.

"Please," she scoffed, unable to resist their usual banter, "don't let it go to your head. Your ego is already over-inflated as it is." She took another sip of her drink and he followed suit. "If it gets any bigger you might float away."

"I happen to think that my ego is just the right size," he said, the smirk still firmly in place. "I mean look at me. I'm irresistible and have a personality to match," he continued, though she could hear the underlying note of sadness coming through his usual snarkiness.

Elena perused his body slowly, much to Damon's surprise. In fact, he kind of forgot what he was saying watching her study him so intensely. "You know," she said, her voice a little breathy, "I might just have to agree with you on that one." He swallowed hard wondering when he had entered the Twilight Zone. What was going on? There was something wrong with Elena, he was sure of it. It was probably the alcohol.

Elena looked at him, her tongue tied in knots. She had to get out of there before she literally jumped his bones. She jumped to her feet. "Okay, I'm going to head on home. We've all had a long day and I'm tired," she knew she was babbling but she didn't have much choice in the matter.

"You've been drinking," Damon pointed out. She sighed. He was right. She was trying to decide what would be more dangerous, getting a ride with Damon or sleeping over in Stefan's room. Definitely the ride, so she'd just sleep in Stefan's room. She really, really hoped she didn't fricking sleepwalk.

"Okay, can I sleep in Stefan's room?" she asked. Damon's face fell and she almost gave in. She almost ran over to him, hugged him and told him exactly how much she cared. But she wouldn't ruin it for them so she bit her tongue and waited for him to answer her.

"Sure, why not? It's not as if he needs it," Damon said with a shrug.

"Thanks," she answered. "Well, good night then."

"G'night Elena," he singsonged and she gritted her teeth. She turned and practically stalked up the stairs, into Stefan's room, where she slammed the door behind her. She'd better not sleepwalk!

After tossing and turning for at least an hour, unable to fall asleep, she sighed in irritation. She knew why she couldn't fall asleep. Damon. He was still downstairs, probably blaming himself. Even though she knew it wasn't the best idea in the world, she threw the covers off her. She was going to have a word with him. But before she put one foot on the floor, she heard him coming up the stairs. She sighed.

Well, they'd talk another time. Moments later, she fell asleep. Her dreams were filled with spaceships, explosions and making love to a certain blue-eyed vampire on a beach with white sand, turquoise water and two suns in the lilac sky. A small smile curved her lips and she sighed happily in her sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

Elena woke with a start, breathing heavily, her body covered in sweat, the sheets tangled around her body. She struggled to get out of the fabric prison, suddenly panicking as an intense feeling of claustrophobia assailed her. She relaxed somewhat once she had managed to throw the covers off her.

Those damn nightmares were getting worse. They were becoming more and more real by the day. This time new images had assailed her. She had been locked up in a prison of sorts and couldn't seem to escape. Every time she found a way out, she was captured and returned to the prison where she was beaten and tortured. Damn it, she was losing her mind.

She lay on her back and let thoughts of Damon push away the terror of the nightmares. She wondered, fleetingly, why she wasn't feeling guilty. Why she wasn't horrified at the fact that she had shifted her affections to Damon. She should be feeling like the lowest of the low. After all, whatever Stefan had done, it had all started with a good intention: to keep Damon safe. She should be feeling like a complete bitch, unworthy of living.

_Does that mean I'm really becoming like Katherine?_ She felt the panic take over her, gripping her heart, freezing her soul. But then she relaxed. No, she hadn't disappeared for 150 years and she wasn't playing them off each other so she had a ways to go before she even remotely resembled the selfish bitch that was Katherine. So, why the lack of recrimination?

Honestly, she didn't know. No matter how she turned it, studied it and poked at it, she didn't feel guilty. Bad, yes. In fact, she felt terrible that it had taken this long for her to figure out what was in her heart. Terrible that she knew she'd have to hurt Stefan at some point.

But guilty? No. Maybe it was because Stefan had chosen to leave, even if he was free of Klaus compulsion. Maybe it was because she had finally realized life was too short to worry about propriety and doing what everyone else thought was the right thing. _Life wouldn't be so short if you turned,_ her inner voice whispered. She just snorted at that.

Being a vampire didn't mean she couldn't die and while she was no longer wholly against the idea, it did terrify her. Only not for the reasons her friends might suspect. The idea of living for an eternity terrified the snot out of her because she was afraid of being alone. Living an eternity on her own, like Katherine, running every day of her life in terror, was not her idea of a good time. She brushed the thoughts of eternal life away. Plenty of time to dwell on that some other time.

Right now, she needed to figure out what the hell she should do about Damon. It had been three days since that night and Klaus had disappeared off the face of the earth, probably off somewhere celebrating the demise of his father. Stefan hadn't even so much as called them and, for the moment, they were taking things one day at a time. They had all silently agreed that they could use a break before they started looking for a way to kill Klaus again, though Elena didn't think they had much of a chance.

But it wasn't about her anymore. Hell, it never really had been about her. If Klaus was allowed to continue down this path, who knew what he'd end up doing with an army of hybrids at his beck and call. One thing was certain, he wasn't going to be throwing dinner parties. Or maybe he would be, with humans as the main course. She sniggered and then fell silent, wondering when her humor had gotten so dark. She shrugged. _Most likely the benefits of spending over a year being chased by insane vampires and hybrids_.

When it came to Damon, though, it was as if she was frozen in a bubble of time. She knew what she wanted but she was too afraid to actually do anything about it. And she wasn't sure why. Part of her was afraid Damon would reject her. After all, she was a constant reminder of what Stefan had done for him. And she was the one to blame, in a way. Had she not existed, then none of this would have happened.

A part of her was also terrified that he would think she was turning to him only because Stefan had left her. And the last thing she wanted was to start a relationship with Damon based on doubt. He deserved more. He deserved to know she wanted him because of him, because of who he was. And how the hell could she show him that when Stefan was off gallivanting the world, probably feeling too guilty over what he had done to come back and face them. She groaned, feeling terrible that she wanted to smack Stefan upside the head. Did he really think them that shallow? That they'd blame him for things that hadn't been in his control?

_Ahem, remember Damon? _A little voice inside her head whispered. Elena cringed. She hadn't been all that accepting of Damon's actions when he'd had his emotions off. In fact, if she remembered right, she'd told him in no uncertain terms that he could take a flying leap off the first cliff he could find. It wasn't a surprise that Stefan didn't want to come back.

But it wasn't fair! She hadn't known Damon at the time. She'd only just learned about vampires. How could she have known? And if Stefan was basing all this on her actions at the time, then he had lived for more than a century and a half for nothing. Didn't he get that people changed? And didn't he really know her at all?

Then there was the small voice inside her that said she'd never be able to handle Damon. The small voice that whispered she would never be able to live up to his expectations of her. He was so intense, so … Damon. How could she possibly even imagine she could be a fraction of what he needed? Look at Katherine. She might be a bitch, but she was so worldly and she could handle Damon on his good and bad days. To be honest, she sort of felt like a cavewoman who had just discovered fire by comparison.

How could she ever hope to compare to Katherine? She was only eighteen and Katherine had lived for more than five hundred years. She blushed, her cheeks flaming, when her thoughts turned to the inevitable. How could she compare to Katherine in bed? She didn't have any experience. Stefan hadn't minded. In fact, she was pretty sure that he had been relieved because it had made her so different from Katherine. Stefan had never felt the need to rip off her clothes or vice versa. They had never had that type of relationship, so intense, so passionate. But she knew in her gut that Damon wasn't like that. He was intense and passionate in everything he did and she was terrified that he'd sleep with her once and realize she wasn't for him.

Damn it! Damn Katherine for making her feel so insecure! Damn her own weakness! Damn Klaus for what he had done to Stefan and damn Stefan for running off like a coward! _Nice, Elena. Real nice. He gives his life up to save you and Damon and this is how you repay him?_ That damn voice sounded in her head again. She turned over, buried her face in her pillow and screamed in frustration.

And then it hit her. She knew what she had to do. She'd find Stefan and bring him back. Kicking and screaming if she had to. She owed him that much and it would give her time to deal with her own insecurities. It would also show Damon that she had really chosen him for him. She jumped out of bed, suddenly energized. She had a plan. She had to call Bonnie and Caroline.

Despite her insecurities and fears, deep down she had this feeling that the connection between her and Damon was something more, though she had no idea what. She brushed the thought aside. She was thinking crazy thoughts. It was those damn nightmares, she thought with a huff as she walked into the bathroom.

Elena never noticed the all-but invisible figure watching her from the shadows.

"Soon," it whispered.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Bonnie were staring at her, their mouths agape. Both girls had rushed over when she had called them, explaining she needed their help. They were sitting on her bed but it was clear this was the last thing they had expected to hear coming out of Elena's mouth.<p>

"Let me get this right," Bonnie said, "you want to find Stefan and bring him back here, but you don't want Damon knowing?"

"Pretty much," Elena said, nodding.

"Are you insane?" Caroline screeched.

"Why would you think that?" Elena asked.

"Caroline, quiet," Bonnie snapped. "Answer one question. Why don't you want Damon knowing?" Maybe Damon didn't want to bring Stefan back and that's why Elena was trying to do this on her own. Even though Bonnie honestly doubted it, she still wanted to give her best friend the benefit of the doubt.

"Because he wouldn't let me do it, in the first place."

"Maybe he's got a point," Bonnie replied.

Elena felt like screaming. Why couldn't they get it? "I need to find Stefan," she said adamantly.

"Don't you think you're being naïve about him? This blind faith you have in him is starting to get annoying. You're so obsessed you can't see the truth. He left. He had a choice and he chose to leave!" Caroline snapped at her. Elena just rolled her eyes.

"I'm with Care on this," Bonnie said softly, much to the vampire's surprise. "What? It's true. Stefan is – was – a great guy but nothing is keeping him away anymore. He's not compelled by Klaus. He's free. He could switch his emotions on and come back," she said with a shrug.

"See, even Bonnie agrees with me," Caroline said in a huff, as if the witch's agreement validated her opinion.

"You two just don't get it," Elena said with a small sigh.

"Look, you're eighteen, Elena. Stefan isn't the last guy you'll ever fall in love with," Bonnie said softly.

"Don't you think I know that?" Elena snapped, suddenly annoyed that they wouldn't let her get a word in edgeways. "But how can I move on, even if I want to, knowing how much Stefan sacrificed for me? And how can I look Damon in the eye, knowing that this was all my fault?" she asked.

Bonnie and Caroline just looked at her. "Elena, this isn't your fault," Bonnie said. "It was Stefan's choice. He decided not to come back. And he left to save his brother in the first place."

"I know Bonnie," Elena sighed. How could she tell her friends that her motives for bringing Stefan back were purely selfish?

"And maybe Stefan doesn't want to see Damon. He could have come back on his own. What if you'll make this worse by bringing him back?" Bonnie whispered. Elena let her head fall into her hands. She hadn't thought of it that way. She hadn't thought of anything beyond bringing Stefan back for her own selfish reasons. Great! Just once she wanted to do something for selfish reasons and she couldn't do it. She felt like screaming.

_You could just find him and talk to him. See what he wants, why he's staying away, _a voice whispered in her head.

"Fine, let's compromise. We'll find him and talk to him. Nothing else. Just let me talk to him," Elena said, pleadingly. Bonnie shook her head unhappily.

"I know what you want but I can't do a locator spell without Damon. I need his blood or it won't work," Bonnie said suddenly, hoping the slight ruse would stall Elena long enough so she could talk to Damon. They might not be the best of friends but one area they always agreed on was keeping Elena from going on her kamikaze missions. He'd be able to talk some sense into her.

"What about Caroline's blood?" Elena asked.

"My blood? Why mine?"

"Well, Damon did sire you…" Elena said, trailing off, uncomfortable at having to remind Caroline of her ordeal.

Bonnie sighed. "I guess it might work. But I'll only do it on one condition," she said. "If we find him, you don't go off on your own. You take Damon with you," Bonnie said. It was a compromise but better than nothing at all.

Elena glared at her. She knew Bonnie was hoping Damon would stop her. "Fine. I promise not to go off without Damon knowing," she said. She had never said she'd tell Damon where or why she was going. Damn it, since when was she so comfortable lying to her friends? She was starting to freak herself out.

"Alright," Bonnie nodded. "I'll need a map and a candle." Elena nodded and scrambled off the bed to get Bonnie what she needed. Once she was back, Bonnie looked at Caroline. "Care, please?" she said, indicating the map and where she wanted the girl's blood.

As Caroline was about to bite into her wrist, they heard a loud knock at the door. "Damn," Elena said. "I have to get that. Ric's out."

"Go on. We have time," Bonnie said with a nod. Elena got up and rushed downstairs hoping it wasn't Damon. No, it wouldn't be Damon. He never knocked. When she opened the door, she stared in surprise at the elderly gentleman standing in front of her. He wore a black suit and carried a large briefcase. With her luck, it was someone else Klaus had sent to disrupt her life but the man's twinkling blue eyes, creased face and white hair screamed grandpa rather than homicidal maniac. And his smile was so open and warm, she couldn't help but respond in kind.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I'm looking for Miss Elena Gilbert," he replied.

"I'm Elena Gilbert. Would you like to come in?" she asked, feeling silly for keeping him on the doorstep.

"Yes, thank you. I won't take up much of your time. I have a package for you," he said. "Is there somewhere I could set this down," he continued, indicating his briefcase.

Elena quickly recovered from her surprise and led him into the living room. He put his case down on the coffee table and opened it, pulling out a small wooden box, no larger than her hand.

"I represent Walden, Smith and Associates, a law firm from New York. This package was left in our care eighteen years ago with strict instructions to be delivered to a Miss Elena Gilbert of Mystic Falls on this day," he explained to her, his tone official. Elena looked at him curiously. Who would leave a package for her? And eighteen years ago? This was starting to sound surreal.

"Mr…" she trailed off, realizing she didn't know his name.

"Walden. David Walden," he replied. Okay! That must be some package for one of the owners to act as a delivery boy.

"Mr. Walden, I'm sorry but this can't be for me," she said skeptically.

"Are you Miss Elena Gilbert, born on the 22nd of June, 1992, adopted by Miranda and Grayson Gilbert, descendant of Katherine Pierce?" he asked. Elena almost choked at the last part. How the hell did he know?

"Yes," she croaked.

"Then this package belongs to you. Would you please sign here?" he asked, pulling out a clipboard with some official looking papers. Elena took the pen, her hand shaking.

"Do I owe you anything?" she asked, not certain she wanted to deal with who had left this package for her and what it was.

"Certainly not, Miss," he said, looking quite affronted that she had even mentioned the topic. "Our services have been paid in full."

"Do you know who left the package for me?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, but I am not at liberty to reveal that information. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to leave. I have a flight back to New York in an hour," he said, closing his briefcase.

"Yes, of course," she said, walking him out.

"Good day, Miss Gilbert," he said as he left. She could have sworn he had whispered something to the effect of "it's about time" but the way things had been going lately, she was sure she had just been hearing things.

Elena walked back into the living room and looked at the box as if it were a live snake. She shook off the foreboding feeling and picked it up, walking upstairs. If she had learned one thing, it was never to take things for granted.

"Bon, could you check this out please?" she said softly, handing the box to a very curious Bonnie.

"What is it?"

"I have no idea. Some guy from a law firm in New York just delivered it. He said they'd been holding it for eighteen years and were supposed to deliver it today."

Bonnie and Caroline both studied the box curiously. "So, what's the problem. Maybe Isobel left it for you," Bonnie said with a shrug.

"Well, the guy mentioned that I was Katherine Pierce's descendant and while it might be from Isobel, I'd rather not take any chances. Do you sense anything?"

Bonnie shook her head. "There's nothing magic in this box. No moonstones or booby trap spells or anything weird. Why don't you open it?" Elena took the box, studying it. She wasn't sure why she was so put off by it. Come on, Elena, stop being paranoid, she admonished herself.

She grabbed hold of the lid and pulled it off, after struggling with it a bit. Inside, laying on a bed of velvet was an octagonal crystal, the size of her palm and about three inches thick. Elena picked it up and looked at it curiously.

"What is that?" Bonnie and Caroline whispered, looking at the object that glinted in the light. It almost looked like a diamond but that wasn't possible. It was too big to be a diamond. And who would leave her something like that anyway?

"I have no idea," she whispered. She dug through the box but found nothing else. They studied the crystal for a few more minutes. "Whatever," she said. "Let's get on with this," she continued, indicating the map.

The figure in the shadows smiled. "Perfect," it said. "It's time for you to remember who you are."

Caroline bit into her wrist and let a few drops of blood fall onto the map. Bonnie lit the candle and began to chant. The blood slowly started to inch across the map, heading for New York. She kept chanting, waiting for the blood to stop.

At first, no one noticed the crystal glowing a pale blue light. However, the light grew more and more intense until Caroline glanced at it. "Uh, Bonnie…" she said worriedly.

"Not now, Care," Elena said. Caroline watched as the crystal grew brighter and brighter.

"Bonnie!" she practically shouted. The witch turned to her, glaring.

"What!" she snapped. "Don't interrupt me in the middle…" she finished on a scream when she saw the crystal shoot up into the air and stop right in front of Elena, who was staring at it in shock.

"Bonnie," Elena whispered. "Do something." Bonnie swallowed hard. What the hell was she supposed to do? She didn't even know what it was. So, she tried to reach out and grab hold of it. The crystal, though, moved so fast, she could barely see it. The more she tried to grab hold of it, the faster it moved, always returning to the same position, though.

"Caroline, you try," she said to the vampire, getting more and more worried since the light in the crystal had begun to pulse. Caroline tried to grab hold of it, just like Bonnie, except she used her vampire speed. Unfortunately, she had as little success as witch. Before they could even think of what else to do, the light shot out of the crystal in a bright blue beam and hit Elena square in the forehead. Caroline and Bonnie screamed but Elena didn't make a move.

The crystal hovered in front of her, connected to her by the blue beam. "Elena, you okay?" Bonnie asked. This was not good, no way was this good.

When no answer came, Caroline started to hyperventilate. "We've got to call Damon," she said, terrified. What if this was another of Klaus' tricks? Bonnie nodded, having to agree with her friend. Caroline had her phone out and was waiting for Damon to pick up in milliseconds.

"What is it, Blondie?" the sarcastic ass answered.

"Damon, you have to get over here now!" she snapped, anxious and terrified and in no mood for his crap.

"What? Where? What's happened?" he shot the questions out like gunfire.

"We're at Elena's and something's wrong with her. We think Klaus…" she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because a gust of wind blew through the room, revealing Damon had already arrived.

He took in the scene before him and his eyes widened. "What the hell is that? And what the hell were you doing?" he snapped, trying to hide the terror clawing at him at seeing Elena practically catatonic with a crystal beaming a light into her head.

"We don't know. It was delivered ten minutes ago. Apparently someone left it for Elena in the care of a law firm in New York eighteen years ago," Bonnie said quickly, knowing time was of the essence.

Damon shot a hand out, in an attempt to grab the crystal and sever the connection. He wasn't quite as lucky as the girls though, because instead of avoiding him, the crystal shot out a red beam at him, catching him in the chest and throwing him clear across the room until he crashed into the wall.

"Damon!" Caroline cried out and was next to him in seconds. "You okay?" she asked and he nodded rubbing his chest as he got up.

"Damn it, Bonnie. I thought you'd know better than to play with crap you didn't understand," he growled, annoyed at the feeling of impotence running through him.

"I didn't do anything, Damon," she snapped. "We were just doing a simple locator spell to find Stefan when that thing started glowing and doing that," she said, gesturing wildly.

"Why the hell would you be doing a locator spell to find Stefan?" he demanded to know, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer. Elena.

"Elena begged me to," Bonnie whispered. Damon shook his head. She just hadn't been able to let go. He felt his heart sink. "I could try to drain its power," she said with a small whisper.

"Then what the hell are you waiting for," Damon practically pounced on her. "Get on with it, witch," he snapped. Bonnie decided to overlook Damon's crappy behavior. She knew he was as terrified as she was.

"Crap!" she hissed. "I don't have my grimoire."

"I'll get it. Tell me where it is," Damon said. He was gone and back in a few minutes, after she explained where he could find the book in her room. But by time Bonnie had found the right spell, which was a matter of a minute or two, the beam of light disappeared, the crystal fell to the bed and Elena crumpled, her eyes closed, her breathing even.

Damon grabbed hold of the crystal, ready to toss it out of the window so it couldn't hurt Elena anymore but Bonnie's hand stayed him. "Don't! I need it to try and find out what type of magic was used," she explained to Damon, who was looking thunderous. He looked at the crystal in disgust and dropped it in Bonnie's hand.

He went over to Elena, studying her closely. She looked alright, except for the fact that she was passed out. He tried calling out to her. "Come on, Elena. You need to open your eyes," he whispered to her urgently. When she didn't react, he tried again, except a little louder. Again, no reaction. He tried shaking her, to no avail.

"Damon," Bonnie said softly, "maybe she just needs to rest. Let's give her a little time. I'll study the crystal in the meantime and maybe we can find out what's going on."

"I can't leave her," he whispered and both girls looked at him sadly. They knew how much he cared for her and even Bonnie felt sorry for him. Sorry that Elena would never care for him as she seemed to care for Stefan.

"Okay," she whispered. "We'll be downstairs." Damon just nodded. He waited for Bonnie and Caroline to leave before he moved Elena into a more comfortable position on the bed. He lay down next to her and studied her features. She'd be okay. She had to be. He didn't care if he had to live the rest of eternity as the "brother-in-law", he didn't care if he had to watch Stefan laugh and hold and love her. He'd do anything just to see her smiling, to hear her laugh. He'd give up anything, even his life if it meant she'd just open her eyes and smile.

When Bonnie had said they were doing the locator spell, he'd finally come to accept that Elena could never love him like he loved her. She'd always love Stefan. His brother would come first, as it had always been. Later, he might get angry. Later, he might have the energy to start hating his brother again. Later, he might be able to work up the desire to start making Stefan's life miserable again. Later… much later… after Elena opened her eyes and berated him for being in her bedroom. After he was certain she was fine.

Then, he'd help her get Stefan back and rip his heart out in the process. He'd help her bring Stefan back, the Stefan she loved. And then he'd leave Mystic Falls. He'd leave them alone to be happy, at least for a little while. Until he managed to piece his heart back together and work up the energy to hate them.

An hour later he decided to get up and see if Bonnie had made any headway with the crystal. At that moment, though, Elena began to thrash on the bed, a cry of agonizing pain being torn from her lips. Damon's heart stopped and he rushed back to her.

"Elena, come on. Elena! You have to wake up!" he was shouting at her. Her body was so rigid it was like a plank of wood and he didn't know what to do. She jackknifed into a sitting position, breaking free of his hold with such strength he was thrown back against the wall. She fell back to the bed, her body arching so far that only her head and feet remained on the bed.

"Bonnie!" he started screaming. "Bonnie, get the fuck up here and help me!"

In seconds, Caroline was next to him, shrieking for Bonnie. When the witch rushed into the room, she stopped short, watching her friend flailing on the bed.

"Do something Bonnie!" Damon shouted. "Before she kills herself!"

"Hold her still," Bonnie said quickly. She knew a spell that was supposed to take away pain. She didn't know if it would help but it was the only thing she could think of.

Damon and Caroline rushed over to Elena, grabbing hold of her shoulders and legs. A moment later, Elena spasmed again, throwing both vampires off her, much to everyone's shock.

"I'm going to die," they heard Elena whisper and Damon paled.

"No you aren't," he growled, shaking her. He looked at Bonnie, his lips drawn back in a snarl. "Do something!"

"I won't leave him," the unconscious girl continued to mutter. "Stefan," they all heard her say softly.

Damon felt his heart freeze. He had known. It wasn't a surprise. Deep down, he had always known Stefan would be first. But to hear her call out for him when she was in pain, when she thought she was dying, made him realize he had never truly experienced anguish until that moment. But he wouldn't give in to the pain. She needed him and he would come through for her. So, Damon cleared his mind of everything but the problem at hand. Saving Elena. That he could do. That was what he had been born to do.

Bonnie and Caroline looked at Damon sadly, their hearts breaking for the vampire who pretended not to care, not to feel, but felt so much. Caroline felt a tear rolling down her cheek and dashed it away quickly before he could see.

At Damon's glare, Bonnie quickly started the spell and in moments, Elena's body had relaxed into the bedding.

"What the fuck's going on?" Damon growled, looking at Bonnie, waiting for some explanation.

"I don't know," she said softly. "This isn't any magic I've seen before. I can't even _feel_ any magic here. The crystal is dead," she said worriedly, looking at the offending item in her hand. "I'll call Lucy," she whispered. It was the only thing she could think to do.

"Oh my god!" Caroline cried out, shocking them. She was pointing at Elena, her hand shaking. Damon was too afraid to look. He couldn't do it. The horrified look on Bonnie's face told him he wouldn't be able to deal with it. The usually sweet smell of blood in the air made his stomach recoil and contract as if he were about to throw up. He turned his gaze to Elena and his world came to a crashing halt.

Elena was bleeding. Her blood was bubbling up through her skin, pouring out from beneath her closed eyelids, pouring out of her partially open mouth. Her clothing and the sheets beneath her were soaked red. Damon let loose a roar of anguish. No, there was no way this could be happening. He had to save her.

"Bonnie, do something!" he shouted at the witch. Bonnie just shook her head, tears trailing down her face, horror imprinted on her features at what was happening to Elena.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered.

"Bonnie, I don't give a shit what you do, but try something. Anything! She's going to bleed out!" At the forlorn look on Bonnie's face, Damon made a split second decision. His face shifted and he bit into his wrist.

"Damon, what are you doing?" Bonnie cried out.

"I'm saving her the only way I know how," he said.

"No! She doesn't want this! She doesn't want to become a vampire!" Bonnie shouted at him.

"You think she wants to die instead?" Damon snarled at the witch.

"Yes, she would! She never wanted this life! She'd never want to become a monster!" Bonnie insisted.

"It's not that bad," Caroline whispered, feeling terrible that Bonnie really thought of her as a monster.

"How can you say that?" the witch rounded on her. But when she realized she was giving Damon the opening he needed, she picked him up and hurled him against the wall, keeping him pinned there before his blood could come anywhere near Elena.

"Witch, you let me fucking go. If she dies because of you I swear I will destroy you. I will turn you into what you hate so much and spend eternity torturing you," Damon snarled at her, beyond rhyme or reason. Elena would not die. Not when it was in his power to bring her back. He struggled against the invisible bonds but couldn't seem to break free, no matter how hard he tried.

He heard Elena's heart slow and he started screaming. "Bonnie, I swear I'll fucking kill you!"

Bonnie just shook her head sadly. Caroline stared at Bonnie in shock. "Bonnie, don't do this," she beseeched. "Elena wouldn't want to die!"

"She'd rather die than be a vampire!" Bonnie repeated. Damon heard Elena's heart stop and struggled even harder.

"Just because that's what you would do, it doesn't mean it's what Elena wants," Caroline snapped. She turned to her friend and apologized in her mind before slapping her across the face hard enough to knock her out. Damon was free in an instant and was already pressing his wrist to Elena's lips.

"Drink, Elena. Please, drink," he whispered fervently. He massaged his wrist, letting the blood pour into her mouth. He massaged her throat, trying to get her to swallow. "Come on, baby. Please, don't leave me. Please," he whispered, his voice cracking. He picked her up so that she was leaning against his chest, hoping that gravity would help and his blood would make it into her system.

Caroline watched, tears rolling down her cheeks. She had been too late. Why hadn't she acted faster? Oh God, Elena was dead! And all because of Bonnie's skewed sense of morals. She walked over to Damon, resting a hand on his shoulder. "She's gone, Damon," she said softly, her voice filled with sadness.

"No, no, no," he denied, shaking his head. "No, it will work. Just wait a bit. It will work. You'll see. It has to work," his voice trailing off. So, they stood motionless for an hour, but nothing happened. Bonnie had just started to come around and Damon laid Elena back down on the bed.

"I'll kill her if I stay. Don't move Elena, she'll be fine, she just needs time." He refused to look at Caroline because he knew what he'd see in her eyes. He'd see what his mind had already accepted but his heart refused to. Elena was gone.

He was out of the room in seconds, racing home, knowing the only thing that would keep him from destroying the town and ripping Bonnie to pieces was that he knew Elena would have expected better of him. He couldn't – wouldn't – tarnish her … memory.

He stopped in the middle of the forest, doubling over in pain. Fuck! She couldn't be gone. Not after all they had been through. She couldn't have just died. It had to be a nightmare he'd be waking up from any moment now. He hadn't just seen her bleed out while Bonnie kept him from saving her. No, it wasn't possible. His body shook in agony and he let loose an anguished howl that reverberated through the darkness.

A single sound that contained so much pain, so much heartache, so much despair that those who heard it, felt a tear spring to their eyes, though they had no idea why.


	4. Chapter 3

Caroline looked down at Elena, tears blurring her vision. She straightened her shoulders. She had to be strong for her. She couldn't leave Elena in her own blood. She couldn't…

"I'm sorry," Bonnie's whispered apology interrupted her thoughts. Anger sparked, a red haze descending over her vision as she turned to look at the witch, her face shifting, her lips pulled back in a snarl.

"How dare you?" she hissed at Bonnie, who blanched.

"She wouldn't have wanted to come back as a vampire," Bonnie whispered, though her voice wasn't quite as certain as it had been an hour before. Not now when she looked at her friend lying motionless, her skin caked in her own dried blood. She had done the right thing, hadn't she? But why did it feel so wrong then?

"It was her decision to make, not yours," Caroline snapped. "She didn't have to turn but you took the decision out of her hands, didn't you?"

Bonnie paled even more, realizing the truth in Caroline's words. She finally let the dam burst and her sobs wracked the air. "Oh god, what have I done?" she whispered, falling to her knees, pain wracking her soul.

"You did what Klaus tried to do a few months ago," Caroline said coldly, the tears on the witch's face leaving her indifferent. "Now, I'd appreciate it if you had the good grace to leave so I can bathe her and change her. I'm not sure I can stand being in the same room with you right now," she growled.

Instead of arguing, Bonnie simply nodded and got to her feet, tears still pouring down her cheeks. "I'll be downstairs, if you need any help," she whispered.

Caroline just snorted. "I think you've done enough for tonight, don't you?" Bonnie nodded, horror at what she had done stamped on her features. She dragged herself out of Elena's bedroom and into Jeremy's room, where she collapsed on his bed, sobs wracking her body. Oh God, Jeremy! What was she going to tell him?

Caroline gently lifted Elena's lifeless body and carried her into the bathroom. She removed her blood-soaked clothes and laid her in the tub, cleaning off as much blood as she could get to. When she was satisfied, she quickly changed the sheets and brought in a change of clothes. She looked at her friend and shuddered. No, she couldn't be dead. She looked asleep. Yes, that's it. She was sleeping very deeply, Caroline thought to herself, unable to accept that Elena was gone.

Once she had tucked Elena back into bed, she quietly left the room. She needed to feed. She saw Bonnie in Jeremy's room and stalked over to her. "I'm going to get something to eat. If you disturb Elena in any way, so help me God, I'll rip you apart, no matter how many aneurysms you give me," she growled at the witch she had once called friend.

Bonnie just nodded, unable to say a word. Caroline turned on her heel and disappeared from view. A few seconds later, she heard the front door slam shut and an engine roar to life. "God, what have I done?" she sobbed.

* * *

><p>Elena was in hell. It was the only explanation. Her mind was being assaulted with all sorts of images, dreams, places, people, events she knew nothing of but somehow knew were real. The pain was excruciating but she couldn't move. She couldn't cry out. And it wasn't physical pain. It was anguish. Pure anguish at losing so many people she cared about. But how? She didn't know these people!<p>

A conversation in a spaceship with someone who looked so much like her, they could have been twins. It was like seeing another version of Katherine. _Leianhwe_, her mind supplied. A heart-wrenching, soul-shaking pain as she heard screams which she somehow knew came from the people who had died on the satellite that had just been shot to hell by a fleet of ships. Leianhwe telling her she couldn't give up. _Her, not her, someone else, but who…_

Another vision. Leianhwe holding a child in her arms, smiling happily, a man by her side. The image faded to be replaced by a cell and pain. So much pain. So much agony. Another image. People in some type of uniform, she guessed, sitting around a table in what looked like a bar, except it wasn't a bar like she had ever seen. She was looking out of someone else's eyes, she realized, when they all turned towards her and started cheering.

Then it faded again to be replaced by … She was in the cockpit of an X46 fighter… _how had she known that?_ She was in the middle of a battle in … outer space.

"Red leader," she heard a frantic voice over the comms unit, "I've got one on my tail! I can't shake him!"

"I'm right in front of you Dex," she heard the answer in what sounded suspiciously like her own voice. "When I tell you, I need you to pull up fast and break right! NOW!" She saw her hands move over the controls as the small Allied ship she was hurtling towards followed her orders, breaking away and leaving her on a crash course with an Imperial fighter. Suddenly, the ship in front of her was struck with beams of bright light, turning into a fireball that hurtled into the star carrier in front of her.

She could hear cheering over the comms unit and then it all went black. She felt as if her skin was on fire, as if someone was trying to burn her from the inside out. "I'm going to die," she thought to herself, a sudden sense of peace taking over her. "No, I won't leave him," she muttered, a vision of Damon firmly locked in her mind.

The image started to fade only to be replaced with Stefan. "Stefan," she muttered. What the hell was he doing there? She wanted Damon. If this was the end, she wanted to go out with the face of the man she loved looking at her. But the image persisted. Stefan seemed to be standing outside a building that she somehow knew was a couple of miles outside Mystic Falls. He turned to enter the building and she followed him into a room with four coffins. What the hell? She wondered. Was this really what she wanted to see on her deathbed?

_Relax, Kyt. You aren't going to die,_ a calming voice whispered in her head. _Your body is just morphing back to your original self. _

A part of her knew that voice. _Sister,_ came the unbidden thought. And somehow she knew Kyt was the name she was known by in another life.

Elena couldn't help but laugh at herself. Even when she was dying, because there was no way anyone could live with so much pain, she still had an optimistic inner voice. She couldn't even accept death when she had one foot in the grave. But Damon would save, her, wouldn't he? Maybe that's why she was so positive, she managed to think just before an agonizing bolt of pain pierced her chest. She'd get eternity a little sooner than planned, but it sure as hell beat being dead, was her last thought before everything went black.

* * *

><p>Dawn was no more than an hour away and Elena's body lay on the bed, looking for all the world as if she was sleeping. All alone, with no one to sit and cry for her because it hurt the people who cared for her too much to know they had lost her. To know they had done everything they possibly could and they had still lost her. They still couldn't accept she was gone. How could they? After everything that had happened, they had still lost her. And all because of a package and a judgmental witch.<p>

Ric and Caroline sat in the living room, drinking glass after glass of bourbon as if it was going out of style, trying to numb the pain. Bonnie was curled up on the floor, unable to swallow past the guilt clogging her throat and trying to ignore the disgusted stares Caroline and Ric were throwing at her. When Ric and Jeremy had heard what happened, they simply stared at her horrified. Jeremy had lunged for her when he'd gotten past the shock of what she'd done but Ric stopped him.

His "She's not worth it," had cut so deeply she had literally felt her heart break into a million pieces but he was right. She wasn't worth it. She'd let them down. She'd let her best friend down.

Damon was nowhere to be found, but Ric could guess that he was either going to hear news reports of a slew of animal attacks in the morning, or he'd find the vampire drunk out of his mind. He really hoped the latter because he couldn't deal with a homicidal, emotionless Damon right now.

Unbeknownst to the occupants of the house, the vampire in question sat beneath a tree, outside Elena's window, surrounded by empty bottles of bourbon, clutching a half-full one in his hand. His phone lay on the ground, in front of him, a picture of Elena laughing at something someone had said staring back up at him. He took another long drink from the bottle. He grinned.

"I'll be with you soon," he whispered as he looked at the ring that was sitting next to his phone. He looked up at the sky and whispered a single word. "Soon." He'd probably never see her again because vampires like him would never be allowed where she was going. But at least it would be over. The pain of her death was greater than anything he could have ever imagined.

He had spent the afternoon and evening begging and praying to every god he would think of. Offering his life in exchange, promising to reunite her with Stefan, promising to be happy she was alive, even if she was with another, if only she'd come back. Because he had realized the pain of seeing her with his brother, knowing that she loved another, paled in comparison to the complete and utter agony of not having her in his life at all. Of knowing she was … He couldn't say it. Wouldn't say it. And that's how he had ended up beneath her window, too drunk to focus on anything other than the thought it would soon be over.

And so, Elena's body lay on her bed, alone. And that's why no one saw what happened next.

That's why no one saw something beneath Elena's skin begin to move. Why no one heard her bones begin to break and realign. Why no one saw the long metal claws extend from between her knuckles and retract. Why no one saw her skin change color from the pale, sickly gray she had been, to gold, as if she had been brushed with gold dust, and then back to a healthy pink. Why no one saw the strange markings that covered her body begin to glow a vibrant purple and then disappear, leaving behind faint traces that none would see unless they were looking very closely.

That's why no one saw her hair change color, flickering through hundreds of shades before it settled back to the chocolate brown everyone knew so well. Why no one saw her eyes fly open and her irises flicker through a variety of shades, from gold, to silver, to violet before finally settling on the brown they had been the day before. Why no one saw her mouth open on a silent scream. And why no one saw Elena jackknife into a sitting position, draw a harsh breath into her lungs and why no one heard her whisper, "_Ky'jit_, I remember everything," as she came back to life.

* * *

><p>AN: So, the names and the language are all made up. I've been trying to brush up on my world building skills for an original story I'm planning and that includes learning how to create a language.

_Ky'jit = shit_


	5. Chapter 4

Elena glanced outside and realized it was dark. She quickly looked at the alarm clock by her bedside and saw it was four in the morning. Okay, she had been out for a while. Once she had realized what was happening, she had tried to quiet her mind, to let the nanites do their job and allow her mind to merge her memories. It had been painful but it had to be done. She didn't know exactly when her mind accepted the fact she wasn't dying and that the dreams were actually memories but logic said it was some time after the nanites had finished reconstructing her body, reverting her to what she truly was. Only then did her mind have the capacity to comprehend what was going on.

She quickly looked around the room and located the crystal that had started all this. She slowly got out of bed, her legs still a little wobbly and bent over to try and pick it up. She crumpled to the floor in a heap and couldn't help the soft chuckle that erupted from her chest. She was still as weak as a newborn and since, technically, that's what she was, it didn't come as a surprise.

She finally managed to pick up the crystal and looked at it. She tapped one side, then another and another, in a predetermined sequence she knew would recall the nanites, if they had finished their job. Damn it, her mind was still a bit of a mess, trying to reconcile almost four thousand years of memories, of life, with the eighteen she had spent on this starsforsaken planet. What the hell had happened to her? How the hell had they regressed her and what had happened to her memories? And why was she holding a genetic resequencer?

She looked up just as a figure emerged from the shadows, almost translucent, surrounded by a pale golden glow. There, dressed in white robes, stood an almost identical replica of herself. "Lei," she breathed, tears springing to her eyes.

"Dear sister," the figure whispered back, tears glistening in her eyes, a sad smile curling her lips.

"I didn't know ghosts could cry," Elena said with a small sniffle. Her sister had been dead for the better part of a millennium, after she had chosen to live as a human once she had found that the man who was her true mate was mortal.

"I'm not a ghost and I don't have much time," Leianhwe said seriously. At Elena's surprised look, she said, "Remember what Ramsjehin always taught you. No creature truly dies, we just move on. As I said, I have little time. I have already interfered more than I should have. The _genseq_ has the coordinates to a location that has everything you need, including answers."

"What happened to me Lei?" Elena asked. "How did I end up here? How did I end up a human? How did I end up a child?" Leianhwe just shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you everything but I can't. As I said, the coordinates in the genseq will lead to all the answers. All I can tell you is that not everything is quite as it seems. Some things are more connected than you realize," her sister said cryptically. She saw Leianhwe look behind her and a worried frown crossed her features. "I have to go. I'm sorry."

"No, Lei," Elena cried out softly. "You can't leave me. Don't leave me alone again, please. I can't do this without you."

The ethereal vision of her sister smiled at her lovingly. "Kyt, you have always been strong. Much stronger than I ever was and could have ever hoped to be. You will get through this and you won't be alone. You'll never be truly alone. Kyt, I love you and please remember that there are so many lives counting on your strength."

"Will I ever see you again?" Elena asked the woman who had been her rock for so long, the sister who had reminded her what she fought for.

"Yes, some day very far into the future. But until then, you have an amazing life ahead of you. So, don't fuck it up!" her sister said with a grin and Elena laughed. It was just like Leianhwe to lay down the law in her own unique way. "And I want nieces and nephews, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Elena said as she saluted. She would have said anything to see a smile on Leianhwe's face, even if she knew that settling down and having a family was not in the cards for her.

"_Belan ky'jit_," her sister scoffed, referring to the excrement of the six-legged horse-like creature of their homeworld. "But you'll see. See ya around baby sis. Make me proud," she said with a wink as she dissolved into ribbons of light and disappeared through the ceiling.

"I will, I promise," she whispered.

Elena took a deep breath and climbed to her feet, using the bed as leverage. She stumbled into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She looked the same but different. She focused, trying to change the color of her hair and eyes and was glad to see that it worked. She brought a hand up in front of her, clenching it into a fist. She squeezed and was glad to see three, almost one foot long, irrilium claws slide out of her knuckles. She grinned as the light glinted off the menacing appendages.

Whatever had happened to her, and she'd have answers soon enough, she was glad that whoever had programmed the genseq had included all the upgrades she'd had over the years, including the implant that allowed her to interface with almost any computer in the galaxy, as long as it had some sort of remote access. Shit! She had to be grateful she hadn't had her memories as a human because she would have felt naked and so fragile, so helpless.

Her mind was starting to adjust to the different memories and she could now see everything as one continuous life, not jumbled images that were out of order. Holy shit! She'd gone up against vampires in that frail human body? Okay. Brilliant! A large part of her personality had remained intact, at least as it had been before the harsh reality of life in the Empire had destroyed any youthful hopes and dreams. Stars, no wonder Damon wanted to kill her sometimes. She'd always put her life on the line for others but it was a shitload easier to do as a battle-class Dirilian that was virtually indestructible.

She turned slightly, to study her profile and that's when her eyes fell on the blood stained sheets that were piled on the floor. Oh, _kyjit_! That's right. She had been human and human blood was incompatible with her Dirilian physiology. It simply couldn't produce cells fast enough to keep up with the rest of her systems so the nanites had expelled it and replaced it with Dirilian blood, which looked like liquid gold. Someone must have included a single Dirilian cell in the genseq or the process would never have worked.

Two thoughts hit her simultaneously. She couldn't allow herself to get cut or everyone would know something was different about her and everyone must think she'd died, judging by the amount of blood on the sheets. What would she say? Should she tell them the truth? Uhm, maybe not.

_You know, I'm actually an alien that has lived for almost four millennia, fighting against the oppression of a psychotic emperor who has subjugated the whole galaxy for longer than I've been alive and I have no idea how I ended up living on this backwater planet as a human with no memories. Oh, and in my spare time I also play the role of evil princess and used to be the psychotic military commander of a battleship, since I am said evil Emperor's daughter. _

Yeah, that would go over really well. They'd smile at her, placating the crazy person, right up until they had her committed. So, maybe keeping a lid on it was a better idea until she had more facts to work with. But she'd really have to make an appearance right about now because she could hear people downstairs, though they were silent as the grave. And knowing Damon, he was off doing something really stupid.

Damon, she thought. Now that was an entirely different hornets' nest she'd have to analyze. But that could wait until she'd announced her incredible recovery. It would be the second time she had risen from the dead. It shouldn't come as a surprise. She quickly put on a pair of jeans and a tank top, changing out of the pajamas she had been wearing, slipping the genseq into her pocket. She quietly opened the door and padded downstairs.

She stopped in the doorway to the living room and her heart swelled, seeing her friends and her adopted brother there, looking shell-shocked. "I hope you haven't ordered the coffin. I don't think I need it quite yet," she said with a smile.

Everyone turned to look at her as one. Caroline's mouth fell open. Bonnie stared and promptly passed out, crumpling in a heap to the floor. Ric dropped his glass, which shattered into a million pieces as it hit the wood and Jeremy rubbed his eyes.

Caroline was the first to recover, with a very loud squeal, and was on top of Elena in seconds, hugging her tightly. If she had been human, all her bones would have probably been broken in Caroline's enthusiasm. "Elena, oh my god! Elena you're alive! God! Don't ever do that again! How can you be alive? Fuck it! I don't care. You're a-freaking-live," Caroline babbled.

Elena laughed. "Yup, walking, talking and in need of a very strong drink," she said with a wink, to give Caroline something to do.

"Right, got you," the vampire said as she sped to the kitchen. Jeremy was still staring at her and she simply opened her arms to him. With tears rolling down his cheeks he rushed to her.

"God, Elena. I thought I lost you too," he whispered. "Please, don't do that to me again. I don't think my heart could take it."

"Promise Jer. I'll never leave you," she whispered, knowing that now it wasn't an empty promise.

Ric cleared his throat and she looked up at him. "I have no idea what just happened but, for once in my life, I don't really give a crap. I'm just glad it did."

"Thanks Ric. It's good to be back. What's wrong with Bonnie?" Elena asked, looking at the witch.

"Well, she kind of… Well, we kind of… She didn't let…" Caroline couldn't seem to finish her thought as she handed Elena her drink.

"Care, honey, could you try and finish that thought please?" Elena asked her, trying to calm the vampire's nerves as she sank down onto the couch, her legs still a little wobbly.

"Damon tried to save you by giving you his blood and Bonnie stopped him, saying you didn't want to be a monster," Caroline said in a rush. Elena's eyes narrowed as she looked at Bonnie.

She got hit by a range of emotions that nearly suffocated her. Damn it, she still didn't have a handle on merging her two lives just yet. First, profound resentment that her friend would have preferred to let her die than allow her to choose on her own. Then a tiny measure of gratitude that she had stopped Damon because it would have taken the nanites longer to do their job. Followed by fury that Bonnie still thought of the vampires in their lives, their friends, as monsters. And last, but not least, understanding. Bonnie was afraid and she always had a bad reaction when she was afraid.

She had lived long enough to know that nothing good would come of rejecting Bonnie. She was a teenager, after all, and she had made what she thought had been the right decision at the time. It was also partially her fault for never telling Bonnie how she really felt. In other words that her survival instinct was much stronger than her fear of turning, though it was a moot point now. But she'd make the point anyway and maybe help the witch overcome her prejudices somewhat.

"Then I should be grateful that something or someone really wants me alive," she said with a small smile. Then the question that had been at the back of her mind since she had come down. "Where's Damon?"

"Oh my god! Damon!" Caroline practically shouted. "He was catatonic. Crap! Let me call him!" She picked up her phone and dialed but no one picked up. "Damn it, Damon. Answer the phone," she growled, as if she could compel him from a distance. A few tries later and still no luck. "I'll send him a message." Caroline had a feeling Damon refused to answer because he didn't want to hear that Elena was really not coming back. ELENA'S ALIVE! She texted him.

At that moment, something tugged at Elena as she stared out the window. A sense of foreboding that was tied to the fact the sun was starting to clear the horizon. "Caroline," she barked suddenly as she ran to the window. Sure enough, Damon was outside, sitting beneath the tree, surrounded by empty bottles, his face pointed upwards, his eyes closed. And he had just started to _smoke_! _Kyjit_!

"Caroline, get your ass over here and help me," she snarled at the vampire who sped over to her. Elena already had the windows open and was tearing down the drapes. Fuck this damn body, she thought with a growl. When would she be back to full strength? She had seen penguins that were more coordinated.

Caroline screamed when she saw why Elena was suddenly trying to redecorate. By time she realized what was happening, Elena had vaulted out the window and was running towards Damon. When it clicked what her best friend was trying to do, Caroline sped past her, grabbing hold of the fabric and throwing it over Damon.

Damon growled. "Caroline, get the fuck off me! Leave me alone. I was doing just fine," he said, his words extremely slurred. She guessed that's why he hadn't heard Elena in the house.

"If burning to a crisp is your idea of _fine_, then excuse me," she huffed in irritation. She spotted Elena bending over to pick something up. Damon's ring, she realized. By the look on Elena's face, Caroline really didn't want to be in Damon's shoes at the moment. She was thunderous.

"Blondie, I don't fuck up your life, so could you just let me get on with mine?" he snorted, trying to push her off him. Luckily, he was too drunk to do much more than irritate her. Elena silently handed her the ring but when she tried to slip it on his finger, he did everything he could to avoid it, while trying to tug the fabric off himself.

"Get that piece of shit away from me," he growled. At that moment Elena snapped. She was going to kill him herself. She wouldn't let him burn to a crisp because she wanted the obscure pleasure of beating the _pakin _crap out of him and then staking him.

"Jam that fucking ring on his finger, Caroline, or I swear I'll fuse it to him after I stake him," she snarled, turning around and marching off. He wanted to use her as an excuse to die, the damn coward, she seethed.

Damon froze the second he heard the first word. Then he started struggling again. "Fuck you, Katherine," he shouted. "Just leave me the fuck alone the lot of you. Why can't you let me die? You all want me dead anyway. I'm just doing the world a fucking favor," he continued to rant.

Elena felt the red haze of fury descend. She felt the darkness that was an inherent part of her heritage move through her blood and take over her thought processes. She turned, her lips drawn back in a snarl, disregarding the stunned look on Caroline's face. She felt every cell fire with renewed strength, felt her body come to life as it recognized its mate was putting himself needlessly in danger. _Mate?_ Where the hell had that thought come from? Even so, her Dirilian instincts roared with the need to protect and punish. Protect Damon from harm and punish him for trying to end his life, no matter what the reason was.

In under two seconds, she had ripped the fabric off Damon, grabbed the ring from Caroline and jammed it on his finger. "If you want to die so badly, at least give me the pleasure of staking you myself," she snarled at him. She was furious. After all she had been through in the past 24 hours, after worrying about him like crazy, after living half a life without realizing why she felt so empty, she had finally come back only to discover her mate was intent on committing fucking suicide.

Kyjit, why was her mind insisting Damon was her mate? _Because he is!_ Her genetics were screaming at her that Damon was her mate. Just wonderful! That was all she needed!

Damon's eyes widened, wondering when Katherine had started to care. In fact, what the hell was she doing there anyway? He watched her turn around stiffly and walk towards the house, though she was walking a bit strangely. Almost as if her legs couldn't hold her up.

"I didn't know you cared, Katherine," he snapped. She'd already fucked his life up, did she have to fuck up his death as well? Katherine had frozen mid-step but then continued to stalk away, muttering under her breath. Damon simply couldn't be bothered to listen to more of her crap and Caroline was becoming annoying. She wouldn't stop elbowing him. So he turned to her, in irritation. "What is it, Barbie?" he snarled at her.

"That's not Katherine," Caroline whispered. Damon's eyes widened, his heart would have stopped had it been beating and his hands fisted convulsively.

"It's not possible," he whispered. His eyes were fixed on Caroline, pleading with her not to be so cruel. Not to give him hope and then cruelly snatch it away.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and her face bloomed into a beautiful smile. "It's really Elena, Damon," she whispered softly.

He swung his head around, wanting to make sure that he had really seen her but she had already disappeared. He jumped to his feet and raced into the house. He needed to touch her, make sure she was real. Make sure it wasn't a dream. He crashed into the doorjamb in what was probably the most embarrassing and ungraceful move of his life. He frantically searched for her in the living room. Jeremy was there, grinning like a fool, Ric sat next to him, with the same expression, while Bonnie was lying on the floor, her eyes closed. Where the fuck was she?

"In the kitchen," Ric said. "But I'd be careful if I were you. She's really pissed at you so stay away from sharp wooden objects and run if she's holding a stake." Ric sniggered but Damon didn't give a shit. She could stake him over and over again if it made her happy. Just then he heard banging in the kitchen. Unable to resist any longer, he sped over to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. He could do no more than stare at her and drink the vision of her in.

He watched as she pulled stuff out of the fridge, banging everything down on the counter as she slammed the door shut. "Fucking idiot, moron, stupid, cretin vampire. He wants to die? Fine, I'll damn well help him. What a complete, total and utter jackass! I should have just let him fry! But nooo, I'm too much of a masochist to do that!" she muttered to herself as she busied herself in the kitchen.

Damon just grinned like a fool, his heart swelling in his chest. He couldn't help it. She was alive! She was walking and talking. She was really there! And she was still human! He could hear her heartbeat, though it sounded a bit strange, almost like a double beat. But he didn't care. She was alive and looked amazing.

He wanted to rush over to her, pick her up and hug her, kiss the living daylights out of her and spank her silly for frightening the crap out of him. But then he came back to his senses. He wasn't her boyfriend. He had no rights. He had promised he'd stand aside if she lived and she had so that's just what he'd do. The bittersweet joy of seeing her alive and well would have to suffice.

So, he fell back on to his oldest and most trusted friends, sarcasm and cockiness, to hide the pain. "You'd have missed me if I was gone," he said with a smirk. She whirled on him so fast he actually jumped back, especially when he saw she was brandishing a wooden spoon.

"You. Are. A. Moron," she said slowly, enunciating every word.

"But a sexy moron," he said continuing to grin. "Come on, you'd miss me. Admit it." When she screamed in frustration and started advancing on him with the wooden spoon he just smiled. He was too happy to see her angry at him to notice exactly how pissed she was. After watching her bleed out, he'd let her do anything to him. "Ooh, I'm being threatened by a wooden spoon," he pretended to shudder. "How scary."

When she narrowed her eyes at him, he wondered if he had made a mistake. When an evil smile curled her lips, he was starting to think he had. When she rested the spoon against the edge of the counter and slammed it once with the other hand, breaking one end off, he was pretty sure he had. When she grabbed the longer piece that had a very jagged and very pointy end and resumed her trek towards him, he was one hundred percent convinced he had made a big ass mistake.

He raised his hands, trying to placate her. "Elena, I was just kidding. No need to stake me," he said as he backed up. When his back came into contact with the doorjamb he gulped. He glanced to the side, trying to figure out if he could get away in time. Fuck! He was a vampire. He could move faster than she could blink.

"Just try running vampire. Please, I'm begging you to do it. I have a shitload of energy to burn and there's nothing I would enjoy more than ramming a stake in you right now," she growled. Damon shuddered. This was a side of her he hadn't seen before and suddenly, his blood was on fire as it rushed south straight into his cock. Fuck! Not good. He had promised to stay away. But he was weak when it came to Elena and she just had to make things worse.

"Baby, you couldn't stake me even if you wanted to. Vampire, remember?" He couldn't let the mask drop. If he did, she'd know exactly how much he cared, how much it had destroyed him to watch her die without being able to help her. A small part of him, though, was screaming at him, telling him there was something very different about Elena. The way she spoke, her confidence, her complete and utter lack of fear as she threatened the crap out of him were all uncharacteristic of the Elena he knew.

"Baby," she replied sarcastically, "you still have to sleep." His face fell. He hoped she was kidding. But she wasn't finished with him. "You ever, ever, ever even think of doing something that stupid again, no matter what happens to me, I'll come back from the dead just to bash some sense into that stupid head of yours," she snarled at him.

And that's when his mask crumbled. When the façade of normalcy he had been trying to keep intact fell away. "Elena, you died in my arms and I couldn't save you," he ground out, his voice a mixture of rage at his impotence and terror at losing her.

"Oh, nice. So the next obvious move is to kill yourself. Genius!" she hissed at him.

"You were gone, Elena. I thought I'd lost you forever," he tried to make her see. Tried to make her understand that even if she belonged to another, his heart would always be hers.

"So, you decided to just give up?" she snapped. "What about Stefan? What about everyone else who needs you?" A sad smile graced his features. It had always been and would always be about Stefan.

"What about me?" he whispered, too low for any human to hear. He had made a promise and he would keep it. He wouldn't get in the way.

"What about you?" she practically screeched at him and he looked at her in shock. There was no way she should have been able to hear that. "I swear, some days…" she trailed off, snarling. Her anger was choking her. She turned around and stalked over to the counter, trying to get control of herself.

When she had realized what he was doing, she had almost passed out. When it all came crashing in that she had almost lost him, her legs had almost buckled. What if she had been a minute too late? What if she hadn't looked out the window? What if she had ignored the tugging in her heart, telling her to look outside? How the hell was she supposed to know that it was the beginnings of a mating bond, which acted like an alarm signal so they would know if the other was in danger?

Hell, she'd never been bonded before. Dirilians only had one mate in the entire universe. What if Caroline hadn't been there? What if she hadn't gotten there in time? Her traitorous body had been completely useless so soon after regeneration. She turned around, ready to tear him a new one but the sheer agony etched onto his face stopped her. Oh, he hid it instantly behind the smirk she loved so much, but she had caught it. She had seen it and it had dissipated her anger in a puff of smoke.

"What about me, Damon?" she asked, her voice soft. "What if I had woken up and you were gone?" she whispered. "What if I had been a minute, a second too late? What if I hadn't looked out the window?"

Damon was dying inside. How could he do this? How could he pretend not to care, pretend to be happy she was with Stefan when she said things like that to him. Things that made his traitorous heart spark with hope. Hope he had no right to feel. "Crispy Damon?" he asked, knowing it was a stupid thing to say. But how could he do what he really wanted to do? To grab hold of her and never let her go.

He saw her face change but instead of crying and railing at him, instead of calling him an insensitive prick, instead of slapping him or the any other hundred reactions he would have expected from Elena, he saw simple indifference and that cut him deeper than he had imagined possible. "Fine. Next time you want to fry yourself, give me a call. I'll bring the barbecue sauce." she said with a shrug. She breezed past him muttering under her breath. "_Jyliakin mydvan!"_

"What did you say?" Damon asked in surprise. If he hadn't had amazing hearing, he would have sworn she had simply mumbled or grunted something but as it was, the words she had spoken were none he knew.

Elena glanced at him. _Jyliak!_ She hadn't realized she had been speaking Imperial Standard. _Kyjit!_ She needed to keep herself under control. "I didn't say anything," she snapped.

"Yes, you did and it didn't sound like English," Damon said slowly, his eyes narrowing as he studied her.

Elena snorted. "The sun must have fried your eardrums. Or you're losing your mind. I'm really not in the mood for this," she finished with a hiss as she walked off.

Elena couldn't deal with the onslaught of emotions. She had only been "reborn" an hour before and her mind was still firing strangely, as evidence that in her anger she had fallen back on Imperial Standard. Her body was also being less than cooperative, which wasn't helping. Normally, it took at least twenty-four hours for a Dirilian body to readjust after a change. But it was usually a good idea for those twenty-four hours to be stress-free or it would take longer. And that's without adding in the fact that her memories had been wiped. At the rate she was going, if she didn't get out of there soon, it would take her a damn week to recover.

So, she went up to her room, quickly pulled on a pair of sneakers and a jacket, grabbed a backpack and stuffed the map that had fallen to the floor in it, threw her phone in and went back downstairs. She stopped in the doorway to the living room.

"Ric, I'm going out for a bit. I've got some things to sort out." Ric just nodded, too stunned that she was alive to say anything else.

"I'm sorry," she heard a small voice whisper. She glanced over and saw that Bonnie was awake. Elena shrugged.

"Bonnie, I understand why you did what you did, even if I don't agree with it," she said with a sigh. "And I forgive you."

"Thank you…" Bonnie started to say, her relief palpable. Elena held a hand up.

"But, for future reference, don't ever presume to make a life or death decision for me. Do you understand?" she said coldly. "You are one of my best friends and that's the only reason I'm talking to you right now. And I have forgiven you for what you did to me, but not for what you did to Caroline."

Bonnie gaped. "But I didn't do anything to Caroline," she whispered, looking at the blond vampire who was regarding her sadly.

"Really Bonnie?" Elena asked. "I'm heading out for a while. I shouldn't be too long," she said as she turned to leave. She couldn't resist saying one more thing to Bonnie, though she might make everyone suspicious of her. "Bonnie, I fervently hope, for your sake, that you never meet a real monster." And with those parting words she walked out the door, leaving a stunned audience behind her and an even more shocked Damon.


	6. Chapter 5

Elena moved as fast as her body currently permitted, which was not quite as fast as a vampire but still a whole hell of a lot faster than a human. In seconds, she was driving away. She knew Damon would follow her. It was just the way he was. But she needed to find out what the hell had happened to her before she told him or anyone the truth and she couldn't do that with Damon dogging her heels. Instead of heading out to the forest, as she had initially planned, she headed towards the center of town and parked in front of the Grill. She jumped out of the car, glad to see that it had opened for breakfast and slipped in. She headed straight for the bathrooms. Luckily she was alone, so she opened a window and quickly pulled herself up and out. She started to run, setting a grueling pace and didn't slow down until she was halfway to the Lockwood property.

She knew Damon could pick up her scent, but she hoped that it would take him a while to figure out that she had left the Grill through a "back door." It wasn't something he'd expect of her so it probably wouldn't cross his mind at first. He'd probably think she was sulking in the bathroom.

She studied her surroundings and when she was certain she was alone in the forest, she sat down, pulling out the map and the genseq. She activated the unit and it projected a hologram with the coordinates Lei had promised were embedded in it. She checked them on the map and realized that the place she was looking for was the same cave they had found the story of the Originals in. What the _jyliak_? She hadn't seen anything strange when she had been there last. Oh well, she'd have to take a better look. She stuffed the crystal and the map back in her backpack and stood. Just then her phone decided to go off.

Damon. What a surprise. "What?" she snapped, still pissed off at his flippant attitude.

"Where are you?" he growled at her.

"Taking a walk," she replied.

"Elena, this isn't funny. Klaus just called and he's pissed. Apparently, Stefan's got something of his and he's coming here to make sure he gets it back. Wanna guess who's on the hit list?" he said, his voice betraying his worry.

"How nice of him to warn us," she replied. Klaus was seriously the least of her worries at the moment. Someone had wiped her memories and managed to alter her genetic sequence. She had to find out what was going on. And then there was that tiny matter of a rebellion against a galactic despot. Yeah, Klaus was at the bottom of her list of priorities at that moment.

"Elena," Damon growled, "this isn't a damn game. Where are you? How the hell can I keep you safe if I don't know where you are?"

Elena sighed, rubbing a temple. "Damon, Klaus can't afford to kill me because no me, means no blood, ergo no more hybrids. So, I say I'm probably the safest person on the planet."

"And you would be right," a voice she knew very well said. She looked up and there stood Klaus. Oh great! Her day just kept getting better and better.

"Sorry, Damon. I've got company so I have to go," she said calmly.

She heard Damon shouting on the other end of the line as she cut the connection. "Elena, where the hell are you? Is that Klaus? Elena!" and then silence.

"So, Elena, what are you doing all the way out here on your own? Where's your lapdog?" Klaus asked sarcastically.

She just looked at him. "What am I doing here? The better question is what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off celebrating your father's demise somewhere?"

"Actually, that's what I was supposed to be doing when your boyfriend decided to show his appreciation after I freed him by taking something that belongs to me. And now I want it back," he finished menacingly.

"And you're here because?"

"I'm going to kill every person that ever mattered to Stefan until he gives me what I want," Klaus said. Oh, he was talking about Stefan. Stupid brain still hadn't caught up yet with some minor details.

"Seriously?" she asked. "Unless you have selective amnesia, you might remember that he switched off his emotions. Ergo, he doesn't give a crap who you kill."

"Ah, but my dear Elena, I'm sure that if he knew the lives of certain people close to him were in jeopardy, he'd run right back here to defend you."

"So, all of a sudden, you want to kill me?" she asked skeptically.

"No, I don't intend to kill you. Just everyone else. And anyway, Stefan doesn't know I don't plan to hurt you," he said calmly, as if he were talking about taking a stroll by the lake on a Sunday afternoon.

"And you're telling me all this because? You have an insane need to gloat?" she asked. Maybe she should dial the sarcasm down and at least pretend to be afraid. She knew she could demolish Klaus now, if she wanted to, but there was the little matter of finding out exactly what had happened. And her sister's warning of things being connected stayed her hand. She needed to know what was going on before she screwed with the natural order of a planet that shouldn't even know of the existence of aliens.

"Why Elena, I do believe you are channeling your inner bitch. If I couldn't hear your heartbeat, strange as it might be, I would have thought you were Katherine." Shit, shit, shit! She had forgotten about vampires and their fixation on heartbeats. Thank goodness Klaus hadn't figured out why her heartbeat sounded so strange. Damn, she needed to get her body in full working order fast so she could regulate her hearts.

"You know what, darling," she drawled, "I seriously resent the fact that you could confuse me with her." Maybe not the best approach if she wanted to lay low. Maybe if she just knocked him out for a few hours, she'd have time to get her answers and then decide what to do. But how? Would irrilium kill him, incapacitate him? Would it have any effect on him? And what if it didn't and she gave herself away? She knew it was an advantage she couldn't throw away.

Klaus laughed. "You're right. You have much more style," he said with a menacing grin.

"So, if we're done with the small talk, what exactly do you want?"

"I want you to call Stefan and tell him to give back what he took or Mystic Falls will be a ghost down by tonight."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Fine," she snapped. She took out her phone and dialed Stefan. He didn't answer. She tried again. No answer. She huffed in frustration. So, she texted him, relaying Klaus' message word for word. "You are really ruining my day," she grumbled, tapping her foot, waiting for Stefan to call.

"Be happy that's all I'm ruining," Klaus told her. Just as she was about to spit out a retort, her phone started ringing.

"Elena, what's going on?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion. Almost. She narrowed her eyes. She almost hadn't picked up that slight quiver.

"Let's see. I'm standing in the forest with everyone's favorite hybrid and he's kind of pissed at you. Apparently you took something of his and he wants it back, or he's going to start killing people. Judging by the wolfish grin on his face, I'm probably first," she finished.

"Bravo, my dear. I couldn't have put it better myself," Klaus applauded her as he waited for Stefan's reaction.

"Put him on the phone, Elena," Stefan said so she handed the phone to Klaus.

"He wants to talk to you," she said.

"If you hurt anyone, in any way, I swear I'll drop them all at the bottom of the Mariana Trench and you'll never be able to get to them," Stefan growled.

"Stefan, you have 24 hours to bring me what I want, or people will start dying. The first will be Damon," Klaus growled in warning. Then he looked at her curiously. "Actually, no. The first will be Jeremy. It will be quite enjoyable to see how the woman you love more than life itself will be disgusted at the sight of you, knowing that you let her brother die," he said gleefully. Elena just raised her eyebrows. If he thought he was getting anywhere close to Jeremy, or even Damon, for that matter, he was sorely mistaken.

"Don't do it Klaus," she heard Stefan say. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. She and Stefan really needed to have a good long talk about trying to run before he could walk. Seriously? He was trying to play this game with someone who had at least eight hundred years on him? Brilliant plan!

"Twenty-four hours, Stefan," Klaus repeated.

"Fine, I'll be there," Stefan said and Klaus closed the connection. He handed her back the phone.

"Thank you, my dear. You've been quite helpful."

"I aim to please," she said sweetly. "Unfortunately, I have a no-repeat business policy so I can't guarantee I'll be as obliging next time."

Klaus chuckled. "As I said, so much more style than Katherine."

"Anyway, now that I've fulfilled my role in your little plan, I think I'll be going," she said, trying to brush past him. When he caught hold of her arm, she had to grit her teeth to keep her claws sheathed. Maybe if she fashioned a dagger and rammed it in his heart, he wouldn't notice.

After all, she hadn't gone through the pain of going through the bonding process and having her skeleton sheathed in irrilium for nothing. Not only did it protect her, make her stronger and give her those sweet claws she used in close combat, but she could also use it to fashion weapons. Having a dagger or any sharp object coming out, through her skin, wasn't fun but it sure as shit beat not having any weapons at all. Since irrilium wasn't actually metal, but a living organism, when she finished with the blade, it would rejoin the rest of the being that covered her skeleton.

"I think I'll keep you as insurance. Just to make sure Stefan keeps his word. You understand, of course."

"Of course," she muttered.

"And in any case, I find you highly entertaining, so I might just keep you around." Just what she needed. To be Klaus' new pet. She really needed to find a way to get rid of him. And that's when it hit her. If what she was looking for was where she thought it was, Klaus wouldn't be able to get in. There was a barrier preventing vampires from entering and since he was part vampire, he wouldn't be able to get in either. Should she risk it?

It was worth it. Worst case scenario, he could get in and she'd just pretend she was there to study the symbols. Best case scenario, he couldn't get in, she found what she was looking for, including something she could use to decommission the hybrid for a while.

"If you insist on hounding me, I suggest you start walking. I have things to do," she said as she walked off, much to Klaus' surprise.

"When did I say you could go off and do whatever you want?" he snapped, grabbing her arm. "This isn't summer camp. You're my hostage."

Elena rolled her eyes and whirled on him, her eyes shooting daggers. "Look, I've had a really crappy twenty-four hours. I haven't slept properly, my head feels as if someone is trying to hammer their way out and I've got a ton of things to take care of. Then you show up, insult me, ruin my morning, tell me my EX-boyfriend, with an emphasis on ex thanks to you, is playing hide the coffin with your family and that you'll do the whole maim and slaughter thing – which is getting kind of old by the way – if he doesn't deliver and then inform me that I'm stuck with you for the foreseeable future. Trust me when I say that I'm in a foul mood," she snapped at him.

"And I'm quaking in fear," he said snarkily. Elena's eyes narrowed. "Is it really getting old?" he asked curiously, shocking her out of her anger.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"The whole maim and kill thing," he explained.

Elena couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. "You're serious? Please tell me you're not serious," she said, gasping as she tried to stifle her mirth.

"Hey, you were the one making fun of my threats," he snarled at her, clearly irritated that she had dared laugh at him.

"I've heard better," she said with a shrug. "And you tend to repeat yourself quite a bit. I mean, I get it. You probably haven't had to threaten the same people repeatedly, so you haven't had to change things up. But, I'm really sorry to say, you're kind of losing the scary factor when you repeat the same thing over and over again, ad nauseum."

"You do know I could compel you to go home and kill Damon, right? Or even Jeremy. That would be quite enjoyable, to watch you break down after you realize that you murdered your own brother." Elena looked at him and realized that he reminded her of someone. They had the same perverse pleasure of making people suffer in the worst possible ways. The only difference was that her father had had a lot more time to hone and develop his skills.

She needed to get to that damn cave and she needed to lose Klaus before she did something stupid. She quickly ran through all her options and realized the fastest way was to break his neck. He wouldn't expect her to attack, so she didn't have to show all her cards. She just wished she knew how long he'd be out for. Maybe she could get back before he came to and she could make up some story as an excuse.

"Cat got your tongue? No witty retort, Elena. I'm surprised," he said with a menacing grin.

She had to move and she had to do it now. She could charge him and hope to hell her body was able to take the abuse. The flipside was that it couldn't and she'd drop at his feet, writhing in agony while her body reminded her it hadn't fully adjusted and she'd miss her one shot. So, strategy would have to be the name of the game.

She let her eyelids droop slightly, a come hither smile curling her lips. "You know," she purred, "instead of all these threats, I do believe there's a much more pleasant way for us to pass the time." She dropped her backpack and shrugged out of her jacket as she slowly sauntered towards him, her hips swaying. She caught hold of the edge of her top and was glad to see his eyes riveted on her hands. When she pulled it off and dropped it to the side in one quick motion, he gasped at the sight of her creamy flesh.

"I like the way you think," he said huskily. She sauntered up to him, resting her palms on his chest. Damn and double damn! She didn't have the angle to break his neck. Think fast Elena.

"Very nice," she purred. She slipped her hands down, grabbing the edge of his shirt and started to pull it up. Klaus helped her and ripped his shirt off. "Very, very nice," she said again, the appreciation in her voice being completely honest. Of course, she'd rather sleep with a troglodyte but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate beauty, even if she wanted to break his neck. She smoothed a palm over his abs, making him gasp. Tentatively, she started to circle him, maintaining contact with his skin until he was moaning and she was behind him, her hands smoothing over him.

She prepared herself, making sure none of the tension she felt seeped into her muscles and tipped him off. She trailed her hands up to his shoulders and just as she was about to kick him in the back of the knee so she could twist his head and break his neck, the one thing she hadn't expected to happen, happened.

"Elena, what the fuck is going on?" she heard Damon snarl. In her dismay, her head fell forward, her forehead resting against Klaus' back as she groaned. Of course, both of the idiot males present misinterpreted her reaction. Klaus thought she was pissed they had been interrupted and obviously, Damon thought the same thing judging by the murderous look on his face. She'd just been thinking that this must be the biggest cosmic joke ever and for some reason today, she was the target.

"You're kind of interrupting something, so would you mind fucking off, mate?" Klaus quipped, which only serve to irritate Damon even further. Elena peeked over Klaus' shoulder and realized Damon couldn't quite see her in full. Shit, if he saw her half naked, he'd go nuts and end up wolf bait.

"Are you that pathetic that you have to compel a woman to fuck you?" Damon snapped. _Great! Go ahead and insult the hybrid Damon. Way to go, smartass! _She felt the growl bubbling up inside Klaus. Fuck, fuck, fuck. If he bit Damon, they were screwed. She could get some of his blood, she guessed, but did she want to run the risk? She had two options. Damon pissed at her or Klaus pissed at Damon. Option one seemed preferable to Damon's continued existence.

"Damon, no one compelled me. I drink vervain, remember?" she didn't want to see the look of disappointment that was certain to be on his face at that moment. "Klaus," she whispered in his ear, "how about we get out of here?"

Fuck, she was so stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she knocked Klaus out, she'd be giving herself away. Yes, it was Damon, but could she really afford to trust him? The human side of her that had been in control until recently screamed that she could but the Dirilian side of her reminded her that she couldn't afford to make a mistake. The consequences were too great. Yes, she felt the mating bond, but that didn't guarantee trust. It was simply a matter of biology and Damon had no idea of the importance of the bond, so he simply might not care. And she'd been out of it for so long, she couldn't even be certain it was really the mating bond and not wishful thinking after being stuck in Stefan-land. Crap! She really shouldn't be so mean to him but she still didn't get how she'd lasted that long with Stefan.

"That's a wonderful idea, love," Klaus said, turning around and pulling her into a kiss that made her stomach crawl, completely oblivious to the debate going on in her head. Damon hissed and snarled.

"Get you're dirty fucking hands off her, hybrid," Damon spat. Elena wanted to slap him. Seriously. She was trying to keep him alive and he just had to let his little head get in the way of his big head. Actually, he probably only had the one.

"You know, I promised everyone would die but I think I need to make my point a bit clearer to Stefan. And Damon's as good a demonstration as any," he said and she watched as his eyes turned amber, his mouth filling with a set of teeth any wolf would have been proud of. Oh shit! What the hell was she supposed to do now?


	7. Chapter 6

_Forty minutes earlier…_

After waiting in the Grill for ten minutes for her to come out of the bathroom and Klaus' phone call, Damon was close to blowing a gasket. Of course she'd pick now to fucking disappear. He hissed angrily at Ric, who had appeared by his side. He'd tried calling Elena but when she didn't answer, he called Ric, hoping she had gone home. He quickly explained the situation and ended the call, trying Elena's phone again.

Once he had finally gotten through, his world had righted itself. Until she began to act like her usual bitchy self, unwilling to listen to anyone's advice. Then he heard Klaus in the background and he'd gone nuts. He finally figured out she wasn't in the bathroom – feeling like a monumental dick for having fallen for the ploy – and followed her scent through the forest.

When he had come upon them he had felt his blood start to boil beneath his skin. All he could think was: _You won't touch me with a bargepole but you're happy to fuck Klaus?_ His face shifted and he wanted to hurt something or someone. Preferably lots of someones.

But then, things had started to make sense. Klaus had compelled her; it was the only logical answer. And then she had to go and dispel him of that notion, making it quite clear that she was doing everything of her own free will. She was fucking half-naked, running her hands over Klaus, letting the asshole kiss her!

Shit, he'd give his left nut to just feel the touch of her palms across his skin like she was touching Klaus. For a willingly given kiss with her half naked, he'd give both of his nuts. This just couldn't be happening. Hell, he was so absorbed in denying what was happening in front of him that he had no idea what he was saying. By the pissed off look on Elena's face, he was probably doing a bang-up job of irritating Klaus.

And that's when he realized he might have taken things a little too far, especially considering he didn't have a back-up plan. Klaus was standing in front of him, holding his arm in a tight grip, as his amber eyes flashed with menace. A moment later, after the searing pain of the wolf bite, Damon's world went black.

_I really fucked it up this time,_ was his last thought.

* * *

><p>Elena seriously debated letting Damon suffer through at least two days of agony for being such a stubborn <em>belan<em>. He'd just had to get involved, hadn't he? Luckily, Klaus' attention span was quite short, meaning he came right back to her.

"So, where were we?" he asked with a growl.

_I was just trying to get the drop on you and break your neck when Damon the Idiot barged in and ruined it all._ Nope, not the right answer. "I think it was right here," she purred as she molded her body against his, curling a hand around his neck and pulling him down to fuse her lips to his.

"I believe you're absolutely right," he whispered as his lips met hers. Elena closed her eyes and imagined Damon in his stead. She knew she could fake it. Hell, it wouldn't be the first time she'd used sex to get what she wanted. She was a fighter and she'd use every weapon she had at her disposal, including her own body. However, her problem was to get Klaus into a position where she could get rid of him for a few hours without revealing there was something different about her.

So, while her body was responding to Klaus' kiss, her mind was running at a million miles an hour trying to work out how to snap his neck. She could stab him but with her in front of him, he'd realize she was to blame. By breaking his neck from behind, she could claim it hadn't been her and since people believed what they wanted to, no one would even suspect she'd have the strength or capacity to actually break the hybrid's neck.

Of course, if she showed her darker side to Klaus, she might be able to instill a little more respect in him but she still had too little information to reveal herself. So, she placed gentle kisses along his jaw, down his neck and across his collar bone. She continued, nipping and licking, much to his delight, if the soft moans were anything to go by. He pressed his lower body against hers and his erection was all the proof she needed that he was more than interested and likely not thinking straight. Men. They were all the same across the galaxy.

She bit gently and soothed the small stings of pain with her tongue. She moved across to his shoulder and started moving around him, her fingers digging in, massaging his muscles. She moved one hand down his abdomen and wrapped it around his erection. He groaned.

"Fuck, if I'd have known how kinky you were, I'd have taken you with me," he said on a groan. Elena just snorted. He had no idea but luckily for her, he was too lost in erotic sensation to take notice of what she was really doing or the fact that she was acting seriously out of character. With her hand on his cock, she moved behind him.

"I want you on your knees," she growled in his ear. She felt him tense, ready to protest. She snaked her hand in his hair and gripped tight, pulling his head back hard and fast while she squeezed his cock harder with her other hand. "I said on your knees," she snapped at him, using the same tone she used as Commander of the largest Imperial battleship to get thousands of men obeying orders without question. In a move that might have surprised anyone else, Klaus fell to his knees before he even realized what he was doing. "Good boy," she purred in his ear, with a little lick. He shuddered, his head falling back onto her abdomen.

She dug her nails deep into his chest, dragging them up, leaving trails of blood in their wake. He groaned, already panting. When her hands reached his neck, she crossed them so that she had a good hold on his chin and the back of his neck and before he knew what was happening she wrenched hard, the loud crack of bone snapping being her reward. His eyes slid shut and he fell forward, his face enjoying a close encounter with dried leaves, twigs and dirt.

She stepped back and looked down at him with a small smile playing on her face. That should teach him for underestimating her. She extended the claws on her left hand and punched through his back, impaling him right through the heart. She knew it wouldn't kill him, but it would hopefully keep him out of commission for a few hours.

Now, to feed Damon his blood. Of course, as if anything would go easily, she didn't have anything to gather Klaus' blood in. She narrowed her eyes and glared at Damon as she stomped over to him. He was laying on his back, his face already ashen and the bite on his arm looking sickly, black veins spidering out, starting to make their way up his arm. She grabbed his other arm and started to drag him across the clearing.

"Fucking stupid, idiot, moron, dickhead vampire. I should just let you die for poking your nose in and acting like a brainless turd," she muttered. "_Jyliakin myvan! Belan_ breath! _Kyjit_ for brains!" she continued to mutter in a combination of English and Standard. She positioned him so that his mouth was close to Klaus' wrist. She opened Damon's mouth, trying hard not to just yank it open, and sliced the hybrid's wrist with a claw, which she immediately sheathed. She placed Klaus' wrist over Damon's mouth and waited.

Damon's lack of reaction worried her so she inspected Klaus' wound. Curiously, it hadn't yet healed. Maybe irrilium slowed down vampiric healing properties? She'd have to look into that. She held Klaus' wrist over Damon's face and squeezed, allowing the blood to pour into the vampire's mouth. Damon suddenly gulped the blood down with a groan. Perfect, she thought. She was about to grab her stuff and disappear when she realized Damon hadn't moved yet. He still wasn't awake.

_Fuck. If Klaus wakes up first then Damon's dead. Kyjit! Does everything have to be difficult today?_

So, she huffed as she pulled on her shirt and jacket and picked up her backpack. Grabbing Damon by the scruff of his jacket, she began to drag him, muttering curses along the way. Damn her stupid body! Couldn't they have all waited twenty-four measly hours before deciding to go insane?

Once she reached the entrance to the Lockwood cellar system, she unceremoniously let go of Damon and refused to flinch when his head smacked against the hard ground. "Serves you right," she grumbled as she pulled out her cell and called Ric.

"Elena!" he exclaimed. "Are you okay? I was so worried after Klaus' call and Damon tearing off out of here."

"Ric, don't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine. But Damon isn't. He pissed off Klaus and he got his ass bitten. I need you to come and pick him up from the Lockwood property. We're at the entrance to the cave," she said, knowing he'd understand. She should have plenty of time to inspect the caves and find what she needed.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Ric said and then hung up.

Elena looked down at Damon, her feelings as a human for him mixing with the battle-hardened side of her until she knew she needed to get away from him if she was ever to make any sound decisions. Moments later, she was picking her way through the tunnel system underneath the Lockwood property. She came to the exact coordinates the Genseq had indicated and saw only a wall of rock. She pulled the unit out, tapped a sequence out and scanned the wall. Sure enough, a section of it shimmered, revealing an access panel. She checked the unit in her hand again and tapped in the code.

A section of the rock wall started to dilate and morph, until it disappeared completely. _Lovely,_ she thought to herself. When she stepped inside the room that had been hidden behind the rock, it lit up instantly, recognizing her genetic code.

"Holy fuck!" she breathed out when the lights came on. It wasn't just a room, it was a huge cavern, bigger than some of the hangars on the _Omicron_, the Imperial battle dreadnought that was her father's pride and joy. The one she had stolen.

It was stunning, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling, the various minerals and crystals glittering in the artificial light. It was almost as if she was in space, with stars, supernovas and planets shimmering around her. It brought on a sudden wave of nostalgia that was only amplified by what she saw next.

There, in the middle, floated a sight for sore eyes. A mid-range passenger transport that was her ticket out of there. A modified transport, she amended, once she saw the gun turrets on the triangular ship that gleamed in the artificial light. It was so bright she had to squint but she knew the chrome-like hull had saved many lives, since it made it difficult for anyone to actually target the ship on sight alone. The jamming system it was likely equipped with would ensure that it couldn't be targeted electronically and the sun glinting off the hull would make it a difficult target during the day, while in the atmosphere of a planet.

She dropped to her haunches and grinned. Sure enough, another set of three turrets graced the bottom of the ship. Yup, the ship definitely would have a jamming system on board.

She ran to the ship, hoping it damn well had power. Then again, whoever had arranged this exile of hers had mapped things out carefully, so she was sure the ship would be functional. She approached it but when the ship didn't react, a sinking feeling told her she was flat out of luck. Even so, she tried running her palm across the hull, approximately where the access panel should be. When there was no reaction, she groaned.

"Fuckity fuck, fuck, fucking hell!" she growled. "This is so far beyond FUBAR it's not funny!" Great! The fucking ship wasn't fucking working. She snorted. At least she had one of her more endearing traits back. No one could swear quite as vividly as she could, especially when she was pissed off. Even Ramsjehin would, on occasion, inform her that her language defied any form of convention.

"You piece of shit bucket of bolts! How the _jyliak_ am I going to get out of here?" Great! This was fucking amazing. Yup, this all had to be some kind of perverted cosmic joke. Seriously! There was a war raging on in the galaxy, trillions were being oppressed, millions were dying and here she was, the symbol of hope, the crazy woman who had defied the most feared psychotic bastard in the galaxy, stuck on a fucking backwater planet, living the life of a teenager who had thought she had major issues.

She fell to her knees as she started to laugh hysterically. If any of her friends knew exactly how pathetic and small the problems they were facing were, they'd be running for the hills, Damon included.

She took another moment to let her emotions run rampant, blaming it on the fact she was still adapting to her recent transition. She breathed harshly as she began to pull herself together. She took stock of each muscle, visualizing them in her mind until she had full control over herself. Next came her mind and emotions. She took every feeling, every thought and exerted control over them, bringing them to heel. She would not allow herself to be ruled by emotion.

She pictured the children she often spent time with. She allowed the image of those children to remind her why she had to get control of herself, why she couldn't afford to spend any more time on Earth. Their sweet faces looking up at her in awe and amazement, looking at her as if she was the only one who could deliver them from the hellish lives they were forced to live. Children from hundreds of species across the galaxy, banded together, without a care of their origins. Not like Earth where they killed each other over differences in religion, skin color and economics.

These were children that were so different from each other it wasn't funny yet at their fragile ages they saw beyond that and came together to look after each other, some who'd lost their parents and had been adopted by families who were still intact. Blue, purple, red, green, with tentacles or limbs, with two, three or four eyes, with spikes, horns or hair, with fangs or teeth, with suction cups or feet, with one head or two, with two arms or four, they still all loved and laughed and cried the same way. And they all still valued one thing above all else. Freedom!

They would all wait for her with baited breath, for those rare moments when she could take some time away from the war and give them a little hope. When she could tell them stories of what freedom was like, when she could show them that there was still beauty in the galaxy, no matter how hard the Emperor tried to obliterate it. And when she could look them in the eyes and swear to them that she would fight tooth and nail and give up her own life to give everyone the freedom they deserved while she silently swore to herself she would never allow those children to go through what she had.

They were all grown up now, she realized. Maybe with families of their own. But there would be other children. Other people, because in the end, no matter their origins, they were still all people and she would fight and die for them, many times over if needs be.

"By the Gods and Goddesses and by all that makes me Dirilian, I will not let them down," she growled as she pulled herself together, got to her feet and stood tall. "I am Elenadvi Kytaxa D'Arykar, Commander of the _Omicron_ and the biggest fucking royal pain in the ass the Emperor has ever had to endure! A _jyliakin_ malfunctioning ship isn't going to stop me!"

Her mind now clear of all the pathetic emotions that wouldn't allow her to think straight, she quickly assessed the situation. It was clear she would have to come back. Maybe tonight, when no one knew what she was up to and she could have a little time to herself. And she had to get some tools from somewhere.

She could fix a ship. Hell, she'd faced much worse than a malfunctioning ship. As long as she could get some power into the damn thing she could get a distress call out. She'd find a way, even if she had to tie Bonnie up and get her to do a spell, to create the molecular vibrations she'd need to jumpstart the power coils.

She just needed to get inside. The ship should have all the tools she'd need to conduct repairs so it would be at least partially functional. She should be able to use the primitive tools available to her to gain access to the ship. Hell, worst case scenario she'd fashion an irrilium crow bar to get inside the damn ship. Hopefully, though, it wouldn't come to that. She really didn't want to damage the hull in any way because while the ship would still be space worthy, the added stress to the outer hull would not do anything for the life of the ship and each and every ship was vital to the success of the Rebellion.

Her mind was already running a million miles a second, cataloguing the possible reasons for the ship being dead in the water, so to speak. _Defective power drive? Nope. Whoever left it here would have checked the power drive to make sure it was functional. Maybe there's a breakage in one of the power coils. A little gold, copper and steel and I can fix that. It could be a ruptured power conduit, on the other hand. That should be easy to fix. Maybe the ship's A.I. malfunctioned. That would suck but I guess if I rip out the motherboards and wipe them, I can reset it. Or maybe the hyperdrive drained the power coils but that's not logical. It couldn't have activated or the ship wouldn't be here, it would be lodged in the jyliakin rock. _And on and on her mind studied, assessed and questioned as her eyes roved over the transport that would take her back to her world. A world of pain and war where so many depended on her.

A strange noise brought her out of her reverie and she looked around curiously until she realized it was her phone. She actually had a signal down here? That was impressive. It was Ric, who must have arrived.

She broke into a run, wanting to avoid discovery, and a few minutes later she was standing next to Ric, who was staring down at Damon's prone body.

"Where were you?" Ric asked.

"Since I was here already, I thought another look at those caves down there wouldn't hurt," she said nonchalantly.

"Find anything?" Ric asked but she just shook her head. "How the hell are we going to cure him this time?" Ric asked no one in particular, the worry furrowing his brow.

"He doesn't need to be cured. It's been taken care of. I made a deal with Klaus," she said. _I broke his neck, stabbed him through the heart and fed Damon his blood. It was a really good deal. _

"Damn it, Elena. You can't trust Klaus! What deal did you make this time?" Ric asked, dreading the answer. Since she hadn't actually given Klaus much choice in the matter, she made something up on the spur of the moment.

"Simple. If Damon lived, so would I. If Damon died, I'd turn and destroy the only way he could create more hybrids," she said with a grin. Ric's eyes widened, wondering when Elena had become so adept at negotiating. He also wondered when she had decided turning wouldn't be such a horror because he saw in her eyes that she had meant every word she said. On the other hand, after her recent experience and what Bonnie had done, he not only understood but was quite in favor of the idea. At least if she was a vampire he wouldn't have to worry about her dying so easily. Maybe they should all turn. It would make life a damn sight easier.

"And he bought it?" he asked. Instead of an answer, Elena bent over and pulled up Damon's jacket, showing Ric the wound that was healing before their eyes, the blackened veins slowly receding, leaving behind pale yet healthy looking skin, at least for a vampire.

"Let's get him home," Ric said, preferring not to comment on Elena's improved negotiation skills. He couldn't help but think that maybe she should have gone for the cure the first time and they wouldn't be in all this trouble with Stefan.


	8. Chapter 7

Elena dropped her backpack on the floor, in the hall and shrugged out of her jacket. Ric had dropped her off at home, at her request, before driving to the boarding house to babysit Damon until he came around and they were certain he was well. She knew he would be but her emotions were too much of a jumble for her to face him now.

Oh, she still cared deeply for him but she couldn't allow herself to love him. Her life was so much more complicated now and she couldn't force that on him. But what was worse was that she knew Damon loved the human Elena. The side of her that was sweet and innocent. The side of her that had died millennia ago, when she had been tortured within an inch of her life, allowed to heal and the nightmare had begun all over again and had lasted for decades. It died the day she had decided she would be no one's victim and would no longer stand idly by as the Galaxy was destroyed, one life at a time.

Damon loved her humanity and, unfortunately, there was little of it left. Shit, she wasn't human in the first place and while she had once been compassionate, that side of her was long gone. A few days ago, she had felt bad about staking Rebekah. Now? She couldn't give a shit. It had to be done and she'd have even staked Stefan if it had led to the right outcome. Yes, that's how much of a monster she was. She would kill every last person, including her friends if it meant that she could free the rest of the Galaxy. Her chuckle was cold and menacing and she knew it would have frozen the blood in anyone's veins, had they heard her.

If Bonnie only knew that the monster she had been referring to earlier that day had been herself. "Elena?" she heard Jeremy's voice. And in an instant, her hearts softened and she smiled one of the rare smiles she knew would reach her eyes because she truly loved her adopted brother. With both of her hearts.

"Hey Jer," she said softly, her eyes bright with unshed tears at the realization that he really was the brother she had never had. He was the only family she had left and she would die to make sure he was happy. And her hearts softened even further when she saw him descend the stairs, his eyes full of wonder as he stared at her as if she would disappear if he dared look away. "I'm not going anywhere Jer. I'll never leave you, baby," she promised.

When she saw a tear roll down his cheek that he dashed away angrily, she opened her arms to him. "Come here," she said. "Don't worry. It's just you and me." She knew he was afraid to embarrass himself but when he realized they were alone his tears began to roll down his cheeks unchecked as he flew down the stairs and hugged her tightly.

"Elena, you were gone so long," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I thought I had dreamed it all. I thought you were really dead."

"No, baby, I'm alive and I'll never leave you," she whispered to him, her hand running through his hair as she guided him to the couch in the living room. They both sank down and Jeremy curled around her, holding on tight like a child who was afraid his favorite toy would be taken from him.

"Everyone always leaves me," he said softly. "Mom and Dad left. Vicki left. Anna left. And Bonnie almost let you leave me," he whispered painfully at his ex-girlfriend's betrayal. Elena felt terrible for him. She didn't want him to hate Bonnie and she didn't want him thinking she'd ever leave him. "Let's run away," he said suddenly, pulling out of her embrace and looking into her eyes, his expression deadly serious. "If Klaus can't find you, he can't take you away from me."

Elena just smiled and cupped his cheek. She had to remember he was only seventeen and he was still so young, no matter how much he had been through. He tried to act the man but she knew he needed her. She was his big sister and he was her baby brother, no matter what genetics said. Should she tell him the truth? Should she let him know that there was no one and nothing that could take her from him now?

"Klaus can't take me from you Jer. I won't let him," she solemnly vowed but at his skeptical look she knew her promises meant little to him at that moment.

"Lenny," he whispered the name he used to call her when he was a baby, "let's go. Please. If I lost you, I don't know what I would do." He bowed his head and curled up against her, his arms tightening around her so hard she knew she have had trouble breathing had she still been human. "Please," he whispered again.

The pained look she had seen in his eyes and his broken voice helped her make her decision. He needed to know the truth. To know that she was no longer a weakling and she could easily protect both of them.

"Jer, do you trust me?" she asked softly. He pulled back and looked at her curiously.

"With my life," he said without hesitation.

"Even if I'm not who or what you thought I was?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just answer Jer."

"Yes, no matter what, I trust you and I love you Lenny. No matter what, you'll always be my sister," he said. Jeremy knew something was up by the way Elena looked at him, by the way she hesitated. Yet he knew he could trust her and somehow, he knew she would always be his sister, that she would always love him. Just as he knew he would always love her. They were a family and in the end, all they had was each other.

Elena smiled at him and he looked at her in adoration and a bit of awe. Somehow, he knew there was something different about her. Her eyes were different. They had a wisdom and an age-old quality he had never seen before but instead of scaring him, it was oddly comforting. It was as if a part of him sensed that whatever had changed, it was a change for the better.

"Jeremy, you have to be sure," she said.

A part of him was worried at her insistence but it didn't matter. Even if she was a murdering vampire, he wouldn't care. Hell, he'd be happy because it meant she would be safe from Klaus and she'd always be around. "I'm sure Elena. I don't care what you've done. Nothing could make me hate you."

"Well, then," she said as she pulled out of his embrace and surged to her feet, holding her hand out to him, "I think you need to come with me."

Jeremy looked at her but got to his feet all the same, grabbing hold of her hand. He didn't need her to guide him but he still felt the need for the contact after all that had transpired. "I'm going to show you some things that will change everything. It will change the way you see the world," she said as she grabbed her jacket and backpack.

"More than finding out vampires exist and that my sister was dating one?" he said, humor lacing his tone as he put on his own jacket.

"Uhm, actually baby bro', a lot more," she replied as they walked out to the car. "But I need you to swear to me you will keep this a secret. No one can know."

"No one?" Jeremy asked in surprised. When Elena shook her head he was more than intrigued and felt the need to question her further. He watched as she put the car in gear. "Not even Caroline?" he tried. She shook her head again as she accelerated.

"Nope," she said.

"Not even Ric?" he continued. They were heading towards the forest. That much he could tell but their destination and her requirement for secrecy was making him extremely curious. "Not even Damon?"

"No one Jer. Not yet," she said adamantly. He looked at his sister curiously but he felt his heart swell knowing that she trusted him above all others. That she was willing to reveal something she felt was so important to him, her baby brother, especially after her attempt the year before to conceal the existence of vampires in a misguided attempt to protect him. Yeah, he knew that technically they weren't brother and sister, but he didn't give a rat's ass about that. She was his sister and would always be his sister as far as he was concerned.

She pulled over, alongside the forest and he followed her through the trees until they reached the entrance to the Lockwood cellars. "I've been here before you know," he quipped, trying to lighten the serious mood. A part of him was starting to worry that she would tell him something terrible, like she had only a few days to live.

Elena just laughed and winked at him. "Come on, Jer. Stop being such a baby." So he followed her down and through the maze of tunnels, through the hole in the wall and into the cave where all the Original carvings were. He glanced around skeptically, feeling a little deflated that she would just bring him here to show him what he'd already seen in photos.

"Jer, beyond this point, there won't be any turning back. You have to be sure that you want to know," she said before he could say a word.

"Elena, I've seen these carvings before. It's not much of a surprise."

"Jer, I didn't bring you here to show you the damn carvings. No matter what, please remember that I will always love you and that you are my brother in all the ways that matter, genetics be damned," she said and he nodded, understanding what she meant.

She turned around and ran her hand over a piece of rock. He felt the sudden urge to laugh. Did Elena think she was a witch now? But when a panel with bright lights and a screen appeared his eyes widened. When Elena tapped in a code and the rock next to her started shimmering only to disappear, his mouth fell open.

He looked at her in stunned amazement but didn't hesitate to place his hand in hers when she reached out for him. When she pulled him into the darkness, he felt slightly apprehensive. But when the lights came on and he took in the sight before him, he was suddenly convinced he was asleep and in the middle of a very bizarre dream.

There was a big, gleaming, metal _thing_ in the middle of a huge cavern under the Lockwood property. It was a thing because he couldn't possibly say spaceship. No, that would mean he'd lost his mind. "What the fucking hell?" he exclaimed. He looked back to Elena, who was busy closing the "door" behind them.

She grinned at him. "Welcome to the real world, Jer," she said.

"I'm dreaming, right? This is some fucked up dream because I've been watching too much Star Wars and Star Trek lately, right?"

"No, baby, this isn't a dream and that's a real spaceship. Actually, it's a modified, mid-range transport if you want to be specific," she said with a grin.

Jeremy's expression wavered between disbelief, terror and delight. "A real fucking spaceship?"

"No, I sit around and build life-sized models of spaceships in my spare time," she replied sarcastically, yet the grin never left her features.

"Really?" he asked, somehow finding that explanation more plausible than the fact that his sister somehow knew of the existence of a real spaceship and how to access where it was hidden.

"Jer, it's a real spaceship and I'm not really from Earth," she said softly. Jeremy's eyes widened.

"Elena, I know life has been tough lately what with Stefan going off and with all this crap with Klaus and you dying, but maybe you should see a doctor," he said worriedly.

Elena just laughed at how humans couldn't accept the truth even when it stared them in the face. "Okay, let's say I'm insane. I'm not really an alien and it's all in my _jyliakin_ imagination. That's why I can do this," she said as her eyes changed color to a deep amber, her hair turned platinum blond, her skin shimmered until it was blue, the markings on her skin declaring her heritage lit up and she held a fist up, extending the three claws to their full length.

Jeremy swallowed hard. He was seeing things. There was no way his sister just did that. This wasn't happening. This wasn't Elena. And then everything went black.

Elena sighed as she watched her brother crumple to the floor. Humans. They had such a hard time accepting anything that was different. She morphed back to the form he was accustomed to and sheathed her claws. She kneeled next to Jeremy and slapped him across the face to wake him.

"You're a pod person!" he screamed as he came to. She chuckled.

"Uhm, no, I'm not a pod person for fuck's sake," she said.

"Where's my sister? What have you done to her?" he screamed as he backpedaled away from her. She just rolled her eyes.

"I'm your sister, doofus! You know, the twit who chased you into a school bathroom last year because you were smoking pot again." At his doubtful look she continued to rattle off events that had taken place in their lives only she could have known about. "You used to hate the oatmeal Mum fed you as a baby and would spit it all over me when I'd come close to you. You used to be my shadow and I couldn't get a moment's peace from you even when I was trying to make out. Mum and Dad died the night they picked me up from a party when I was too drunk to come home alone. You had a fight over Vicki with Tyler and cut Stefan's hand with a beer bottle. And I once walked in on you while you were jacking off to the stash of Playboys you keep locked in the bottom drawer of your nightstand," she said.

Jeremy paled. "You never told me that," he breathed in shock, knowing that this was really Elena, his sister. Who apparently was also an alien. This was so fucking freaky, even Star Wars couldn't top it.

"Yeah, telling my baby brother that I saw him jerking off was the first thing on my priority list," she said with a snort. "Trust me, it was the one and only time in my life, both of them, that I wished I was blind."

"So, that means we aren't related at all?"

"No, Jer, we aren't. At least not by blood. But if it matters at all to you, I love you like a brother and always will. I'd die to make sure you were happy and safe," she said softly and watched as the emotion clouded his eyes again.

"Yeah, it matters more than you know," he replied, his voice breaking. "So, tell me, Madam Alien. How exactly did you end up with us? Are you like Superman, sent out by your parents as a baby from a dying world…"

"Not exactly," she said, interrupting him. "I'm actually almost four thousand years old," she said, cringing a little.

"Okay. Now I get it. You found my old stash of pot, right?"

"Jer, I'm not shitting you. I really am four thousand years old."

"And you being a kid was something you made everyone imagine? Right. I believe you."

"You know I died last night, right?" when he nodded she continued. "Well, I didn't actually die. The nanites in the Genseq simply rewrote my genetic code, reverting me to my original species."

"Genseq? Nanites? Species? What the hell are you going on about?" Elena dug through her backpack and pulled out the unit, showing it to him.

"This is a Genseq or a genetic resequencer. Inside it are a bunch of nanites. My people left this for me and once it came in contact with my genetic code and was powered by Bonnie's spell, the nanites were released and they rewrote my human genetic code, reverting me back to my original Dirilian form."

Jeremy looked at her skeptically. "Okay, this may be a little too much for you," she said sadly. "Let's go and I'll ask Damon to wipe your memories…"

"Oh no you don't! It might be hard for me to believe but I can't deny what's staring me in the face. But maybe take it a little slower, like over a really strong drink," he said, looking at her hopefully. She laughed.

"Okay, let's go then. We'll need a really large bottle because the story is really, really long."

He hesitated a moment and Elena looked at him curiously. "Can I see the inside of the ship before we go?" he asked, hopefully.

"I wish I could show you but there's something wrong with it. I'm not sure what but I have to come back and take a better look," she explained.

"Don't tell me you're a mechanic," he guffawed, remembering how anti-mechanical Elena usually was.

"Hah, I'll have you know I've repaired more than my fair share of starships. But no, I'm not a mechanic."

"Then what do you do?"

"That's part of the long story," she replied. "Let's just say I'm in the military for now." Jeremy's eyes widened.

"So, you're four thousand years old and a soldier? Is that why you aren't worried about Klaus?" She nodded. "So, why didn't you tell me any of this before?"

"Because I only remembered who I was last night. My memories were wiped when I was turned into a human and regressed," she explained.

"Okay, feeling the need for a drink again," he said, holding his hand up. "But can I help you fix the ship?" he asked, unable to help himself. He felt a little like Alice down the rabbit hole but he had to admit that it was fricking amazing! And if she was as old as she said she was, then Klaus was probably not a problem.

"Yes Jer, you can help me with the ship," she replied with a smile.

************888

Three hours later, Elena and Jeremy sat on the floor in their living room holding glasses of bourbon. Jeremy tried to reconcile what he knew of his sister with the woman in front of him, because she was clearly a woman and as far from the girl everyone thought her as possible. Unfortunately, his mind was having serious trouble processing what she had told him.

"So, let me get this straight. There really is a Galactic Empire with millions of worlds under the rule of a psychotic asshole who loves to torture and kill people. And you are part of the rebel alliance fighting against them and have been doing so for the past three thousand years, give or take a few centuries. You are also part of an obscure race that has amazing powers and is practically immortal, right?" he said, his words slightly slurred.

"Pretty much," Elena replied with a nod. She hadn't felt the need to specify how close her relationship was with the Emperor. Revealing that there was a Galactic war going on was probably more than Jer could handle in one night any way.

"Okay, then what the hell are you doing on Earth? And why couldn't you remember any of this before last night?" Jeremy asked. Even though he had still found it difficult to believe that his sister was an alien, it was hard to doubt her when she started extending those claws and when he saw her blood flow the color of liquid gold. When he witnessed her tissue knit together before his eyes, he was already beyond being surprised. Meh, he'd seen instant healing before but he had felt the need to chuckle because it was surprising how accepting he could be of the strange and out-of-this world.

"I have no idea," she grumbled, obviously irritated that she didn't know what the hell was going on. He could understand, in part, especially after the war stories he had heard. She was obviously a woman who liked to be in control and she was probably way out of her comfort zone. "But once I get that damned ship fixed, I should know more."

"You know, this sounds awfully like a page from Star Wars," he said with a chuckle.

Elena laughed. "You know, now that you mention it, I'm really starting to wonder who George Lucas really is," she said with a grin.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if he was from your neck of the woods. But how are you going to fix the ship? I doubt we have any of the tools or parts you would need to fix it here."

Elena looked at her brother in surprise and with no small measure of relief. He seemed to take the fact that she was an alien quite well. Unless he was still in denial. But he didn't seem to be. "Jer, you're taking this all rather well. You sure you okay?"

"If you think I don't believe you, don't worry. I do believe you. I can actually say I'm relieved. I know it's really you. I can see it in your eyes and I'm relieved because now I know it's going to take a whole helluva lot more than some hybrid or vampire to take you away from me. Hell, I'm actually delighted," he said with a grin. "Now, the question is, can you make me like you?"

That was a question that made Elena stare at him in shock. "Jer, I don't think you get it. There's a war out there. A real nasty one. And one I'd rather you not get involved in. I want you here, safe and happy," she said softly. She would never willingly involve someone in the mess that was her life.

"Do you think I could actually be happy knowing you were out there trying to save the Galaxy? Do you think I could stay here twiddling my thumbs and living my life as if nothing was going on?" Shit, that was something she hadn't really thought of. "Can you make me like you?"

Elena thought about it and grudgingly admitted. "There might be a way," she said, thinking of Ramsjehin. "But it will probably be painful as hell. Anyway, I can't do anything about it until I get back to my people and I won't allow you to make the transition until you understand exactly what you're asking for. Until you see what my world is really like. It's not Star Wars Jer. They never show you the torture or the pain or the people dying of hunger and living in terror every day of their lives. They don't show you the pain of losing your friends and loved ones in battle and not having time to _jyliakin_ grieve because there's always another world that needs help, another battle that needs to be fought…" The pain in her voice made Jeremy's eyes fill with tears. The things she must have suffered and all alone. And that's when he made his decision. No matter what, she was his sister and she would never have to suffer alone again. He wouldn't allow her to, no matter how stubborn or pig-headed she was.

"Hey, at least take me along for moral support," he said with a grin. He was happy to see Elena's face brighten.

"We'll see, Jer," she said with a small smile. "But in the meantime, we have a ship to fix and an idiot hybrid to deal with."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about Klaus," he said morosely. But then he brightened. "But he can't hurt you anymore, can he?"

"He can try but it won't end pleasantly for him," she said with a small snicker.

"Fuck, you're older than Klaus," he breathed. "Are you as strong or as fast?"

"Well, thanks to my irrilium skeleton, my strength is comparable to his and I will be as fast as soon as my body has adjusted to the change. Plus, once we get into the ship, I should have access to some weapons that should stop him in his tracks," she explained.

"Irrilium skeleton?" he asked.

"Irrilium is a living organism that can bond with certain lifeforms, mainly ones with extreme regenerative abilities, like Dirilians. While it is sort of sentient, it communicates with its host in images and feelings rather than words. In return for the bond, which it needs to survive, it provides the host with protection and whatever else is required of it because it's harder than any metal in existence. So, it coats the skeleton and providing increased, strength, simple weaponry, mainly in the form of blades, as well as armor," she explained.

"Wow! You're actually telling me there's another alien in there with you?" he asked in amazement.

"Pretty much."

"Okay, I get the weapons cause I saw the claws and everything but how does it do the armor thingy?" he asked curiously.

"Like this," she said and her skin instantly changed color to a shiny chrome. "It seeps out through my pores and forms a coating over my skin that is impervious to almost any weapon. Well, at least anything you have on Earth," she said with a wink. Jeremy simply stared, his mouth wide open as her skin reverted back to its original shade.

"So, Klaus can't bite you?" he asked curiously.

"Well, he can if he wants broken fangs," she said with an evil grin and Jeremy burst out laughing.

"Oh God, I'd love to see his face," he gasped as he tried to contain his mirth. "And I still can't believe you broke his neck and stabbed him," he continued, still awed at what she had revealed.

"He had it coming," she said darkly. "He threatened you and everyone else I care about."

"Fuck, he's going to get the surprise of his life when he realizes he can't use you anymore," he said pensively.

"I think a surprise like that will do him some good. He thinks he's invincible now, with his father gone. He needs to realize that he isn't the biggest, baddest thing out there."

"Yeah, my sister is," he said with a proud grin. "Uhm, do you still think of me as your brother? I mean you've been alive so long that I'm probably not even a blip on your radar," he said sadly, genuinely worried she'd only see him as nothing more than a problem.

"Jeremy! Of course you're my brother. I told you genetics don't matter! Did you think I'd tell you all this shit if I didn't trust you?"

He looked at her sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but you turned from my annoying sister, the doppelganger, who needed to be protected from every supernatural nut to this incredible being who's like more amazing than anything the coolest science fiction shows could come up with. Yeah, I feel kind of small right now," he said with a snort.

"Jeremy, no matter how strong or hard some of us become, at the end of the day, all that matters is family. That's what we fight for. That's what I fought for, so other people could live happily with their families. And now I have you so I have an even better reason to fight," she said softly.

"What about Stefan and Damon?" Jeremy asked.

"What about them?" Elena asked warily, curious where this conversation was going.

"I know you care about Stefan and you love Damon," he said plainly.

Elena almost spat out her drink. It seemed Jeremy was much more perceptive than she had given him credit for. "What makes you say that?"

"Because you convinced yourself as a human that you were in love with Stefan because he was safe. He didn't make you feel passion, he didn't make you feel strongly, he didn't challenge you. But Damon? Damon always pushed every button you had and you can't be so angry at someone all the time for no reason." Definitely a lot more perceptive than she had given him credit for.

"You're right. I do love Damon. And yes, I do love him even with all my memories back and I have never loved another like I do him. But I have to let him go, Jeremy."

"Why?" he practically shouted at her. "He loves you. He worships the ground you walk on. The psychotic, deranged monster that we all thought him to be changed for you. Why would you throw that away?"

"Because Damon loves the human Elena. The innocent girl who needed him to protect her. That's who he loved. Jer, he loved my humanity, and sadly, I am not human. And I lost my innocence a long time ago. He'd never understand or want me now," she said softly, her heart breaking as she admitted her deepest fears, ones she hadn't even been aware of until she had started to speak.

"I think you don't give him enough credit, Elena," he said softly.

"Jeremy, don't you get it?" she cried. "I'm a bigger monster than Damon could ever be! I've killed so many and I wouldn't hesitate to do anything, including sleep with Klaus and tearing his heart out in the process if it was the only way to keep you safe. I would torture anyone until they begged for death and I would go even further to get what I want. And I've done it. I've maimed, killed and tortured."

Jeremy's eyes widened but he felt no fear. Because even though he was certain she had done things he could never comprehend, he knew she had done it all to save people, to save those she cared about. "Elena," he said softly, "you said it yourself. You did all that and would do so much more to keep the innocent safe. Don't you get it? You don't hurt people for the sake of it and I'm damned sure that whoever you tortured probably deserved a lot worse."

She laughed coldly. "Sometimes I wonder, Jer. I wonder if that's why I really do it," she admitted softly. She couldn't tell him that her greatest fear was that she was more like her father than she was willing to acknowledge. That she did it for the pure pleasure of seeing another suffer. "At least over the past few centuries, I really have to wonder."

"Have you ever tortured someone or killed them just for the sake of it," Jeremy asked.

"No, of course not. Why would I?" she asked in surprise. And then it dawned on her what he was asking and at his smug expression she inclined her head gracefully. "And they say children should learn from adults."

"Hey, who you calling a child," Jeremy asked in annoyance.

Elena just laughed. "You do realize that even Katherine is a child compared to me, right?"

Jeremy looked at her and grinned. "I'm willing to concede the point simply because the whole thing is just too funny. Does this mean you're going to bitch slap her?" he asked hopefully, remembering all the pain the bitchy vampire had put them through.

"Oh, don't you worry. Both Katherine and Klaus are going to get to know me really well. I haven't forgotten about Jenna and they are both going to feel very, very sorry by the time I'm finished with them," Elena growled. Jeremy couldn't help the shiver that ran up his spine at the cold look in his sister's eyes but he was still cheering her on. Those two deserved all the shit she could dish out.

The thought of Jenna made his unnatural fear of Elena disappearing on him rise to the forefront. "Elena, no matter what happens, promise me you won't leave me," he whispered softly.

She leaned forward and cupped his cheek. "Never, Jer. I promise you that I will never willingly leave you," she said, knowing that life was rarely predictable. Even so, she would do her best to make sure she would always be around, at least during his lifetime.

"And I still think you're wrong about Damon. Actually, I think he'd love you even more if he knew the truth," Jeremy stated confidently.

"Since when are you Damon's advocate?" she asked.

"Since the moment I figured out that he really loved you and you loved him back and since I found out you are a mega-uber powerful alien chick who can't get hurt by vampires," he said with a grin. _And since I realized how lonely you really are and I know Damon is pig-headed enough to stick by you through thick and thin._ "And anyway, Stefan would probably be scared shitless of you now," he continued with a snicker.

"Ha ha ha, aren't you the funny one. Though you're probably right. Stefan is sweet. Well, when he's got himself under control, in any case. But sadly we really aren't a good fit. Anyway, it's neither here nor there. I refuse to involve anyone else in the mess that is my life, especially if they don't need to know about what's really happening up there," she said with a shrug.

"Don't you think that's a decision you should let him make?" When had Jeremy grown up so much, she had to wonder.

"No, Jer, I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because Damon probably wouldn't care. He'd tell me that I should stay out of it. He'd try to keep me safe and I can't do that. Too many worlds and too many innocent lives depend on me."

"Is that really it? Or are you really afraid that Damon would want to get involved because he'd do anything to make you happy and that he would end up dead?" Elena glared at her little brother. _Too perceptive by far._

"Maybe," she said, her teeth worrying at her lip as she conceded the point.

"Or do you still think he wouldn't care for you as you really are? Because you're wrong you know. Damon isn't the kind to go for a wallflower. He needs a strong and powerful woman and I think you two are perfect for each other," Jeremy said with a grin.

Elena just glared at him. How the hell was he so damned knowledgeable at his age? "What do you know?" she snorted. "You're seventeen for hell's sake!"

"Ha! No matter how old you are, you still won't admit the truth."

"Oh shut up Jer. I'm telling you, he won't deal well with the truth. He'll think I've betrayed him and he'll hate me for it. That's if he doesn't think that I'm a pod person," she said with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Very funny," he said, referring to her little dig about his initial reaction to her. "And he won't hate you. It wasn't betrayal because you didn't fricking know and Damon isn't that petty."

"Really? He's been betrayed all his life by those who professed to care for him. I won't do that to him."

"So, you think it's better for him to think that the woman he loves is still in love with his brother? And when we disappear? Then what?"

"And if I tell him the truth and then we disappear? Though I don't remember mentioning you could come, mind you." She added. "Then he'll think he's been abandoned again. Isn't it better that he never find out how I feel?"

"You could always ask him to come…"

"I will not have him involved in this! He's crazy enough to get himself killed before we even land in the first spaceport," she said. "You, I can control. Him? Forget it."

"You think you can control me?" Jeremy said, slightly annoyed. Elena rolled her eyes.

"If I tell you not to do something while we're in the middle of space, being hunted by Imperial starcruisers, what are you going to do?" Jeremy swallowed hard.

"Listen to every damn word you say," he admitted softly.

"My point exactly. Damon will probably come up with some idiotic plan that he'll put into effect without talking to me, thinking he's saving me. I will not have him die because he has an over-developed need to protect me, especially when I don't need it," she said with a growl.

"You know, I still think you're wrong but we'll talk some other time because it's clear you won't listen to reason now." Elena just snorted at Jeremy's assessment.

Just then a thought hit her. "Astrodroids!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"Huh? What? Where? What did I miss?" Jeremy said, looking around wildly, wondering if they had been invaded all of a sudden.

"Sorry," Elena said with an apologetic smile. "I just realized that there should be an astrodroid somewhere with the ship. I had forgotten all about them."

"What's an astrodroid?"

"They're robots that are used for ship repair during flight. Basically, they fix anything on the ship while it's not in a spaceport. The Karillian should have an astrodroid but I didn't see it. It might be somewhere else in the cavern or inside the ship. We really need to get into that ship soon…" she trailed off.

"Wow, I cannot wait to get a closer look at this ship," Jer said, feeling more and more like he was in a Star Wars movie.

"Well, you're going to get pretty close and personal with it by the time we fix the damn thing."

"And once it's fixed? Then what?"

"Then I leave, Jer," she said softly, her heart breaking at the thought of leaving the people she had come to care for behind.

"We leave, you mean. If I have to sleep on that damn ship, you aren't leaving me behind," he said with certainty.

Elena laughed. "Fine, _we_ leave," she agreed. It would do her soul some good to have him with her, even if she had every intention of stashing him on Ohoina to keep him safe. At least he'd be within a few parsecs of her and she could see him any time she liked.

"Well then, we had better get to work, hadn't we?" he said with a wide smile, his eyes twinkling in delight.

"Okay, we'll have to find some tools somewhere and then we can go. It'll have to be tomorrow, though, because both of us need some rest tonight, don't you think?"

Jeremy stretched and yawned. "Yeah, I have to agree with you there. I've had my fair share of surprises tonight and I could use a good sleep. But don't you go off without me," he warned.

"I promise we'll go together. Anyway, I could use the help," she said with a wink as Jeremy stood.

"Night sis," he said as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "For the record, I'm glad you trusted me and I'm ecstatic you're an immortal alien who can kick serious ass," he finished with a grin.

Elena stood, her hearts swelling with happiness. She hugged him. "I'm glad you're my brother. I wouldn't have chosen anyone else in the galaxy for the role," she said softly.

She heard Jeremy sniff suspiciously. "Right, I'm off," he said as he quickly turned and ran up the stairs. She just smiled. Men were the same no matter their age or where in the galaxy they hailed from. They didn't like to show too much weakness.

When she glanced at the clock and realized how late it was, she started to worry a little. Ric wasn't back yet and she was sorely tempted to investigate. Damon should be alright, though. Shouldn't he? Just as she was debating whether to go over to the boarding house to check up on Damon a strong gust of wind blew the window open. Apparently there was no need for her to go anywhere since a very irate Damon was staring down at her, his nostrils flaring, his teeth clenched tight.


	9. Chapter 8

"Have you ever heard of the concept of privacy?" she drawled. She was probably being bitchy for no reason but his angry stares always brought out the worst in her and apparently things were no different now that she had her memories back. Well, they were different in that she was probably even bitchier.

"Privacy?" Damon snarled. "Who the fuck are you and what have you done to Elena? Is it you Katherine? Is this some stupid ass trick of yours to drive us all around the fucking bend again?" Elena's eyes widened.

"You know, that's kind of insulting. I have more class in my pinky than Katherine so please don't compare us again. And I have no idea what the hell you're talking about," she said with a small shrug.

"Let's see. You get zapped by some weird blue light after which you proceed to bleed to death in front of me. Then you somehow come back to life, much stronger than before I might add, though your heart is still beating meaning you're clearly not a vampire. Remind me to kill Bonnie later for that one. Then you turn into this sarcastic she-demon who tries to stake my ass, march out of the house so fast I can barely keep up with you and the next thing I find is you half-naked getting it on with Klaus," with every word his voice had gotten louder and louder until he practically screamed Klaus' name.

"Damon, I may not be a vampire but I am not deaf. Would you mind keeping your voice down, I don't think Carol heard you over at the Lockwood place but I'm pretty damn sure the rest of Mystic Falls heard you just fine."

"I don't give a shit who can hear me," he hissed. "I can barely get a peck on the cheek from you without you throwing Stefan in my face and how you love him and only him and then I find you fucking climbing up Klaus. What the fuck? Do I have to threaten to kill your family and rip your throat out to get you to just kiss me? Cause you looked damn cozy with Klaus," Damon snarled at her. He would have done anything for her. Hell, he'd do anything for her no matter what she did but he'd give body parts just for a look from her that said she saw him as more than her boyfriend's brother, more than just a friend.

What he didn't expect was for Elena to jump off the bed so fast that he barely saw her move or to find her standing in front of him poking his chest hard enough to fricking hurt. Since when was she this strong? "Listen to me, you stupid jackass. I was trying to buy some time and get away from Klaus but you had to walk in and piss him off and get your stupid ass bitten. I swear you're suicidal sometimes. Scratch that, I know you're fucking suicidal and it's starting to piss me off. Do you even think before you do something stupid? Please say no because if you do that means you're a bigger idiot than I thought!" she was shouting at him and Damon's jaw had gone slack. Okay, this was definitely new. The way her eyes were flashing fire, if she had been a witch, he was certain he would have been ashes by now.

"And what were you going to do? Fuck Klaus to buy time?" he sneered.

"Yes, if I had to, you bet your ass I would have fucked him," she snapped back. Damon's eyes widened. Something was definitely off. This wasn't something Elena would do.

"And that's how I know you're not Elena. She would never do something like that," Damon said smugly, crossing his arms across his chest. "Katherine on the other hand…" he trailed off.

"Oh please Damon. I'm Elena. And a near-death experience has a tendency to change one's views on many things, including what I'd do to stay alive and to protect the people I love," she snapped at him. "And if you compare me to that bitch again, I swear it's going to end painfully for you."

Damon gritted his teeth, trying hard to keep himself under control. He was angry. In fact, he was so angry he was having a hard time keeping the predator at bay. That the predator, the vampire inside him wanted to come out to play and not kill was something he was trying to ignore. He was having a hard time understanding it himself, let alone dealing with this Elena who was so different.

Since this morning she had managed to tie him up in more knots than she had over the past year. He was having a hard time reconciling his feelings as a part of him still wasn't convinced it was really her because she was acting so out of character. But the other part of him, the one he'd thought he'd managed to conquer, the ultimate predator inside him, wanted her with a desperation he had never felt, not even for Katherine and certainly not for Elena. Every time she snapped at him fearlessly, without glancing at him worriedly, afraid he might snap like she used to, his beast literally purred and felt the need to rub up against her like a damn cat. It was so bizarre he couldn't understand it. And every threat she made against him turned him into a mass of molten need as lust shot through him.

What was even worse was that his inner predator now seemed intent on sending him messages he didn't fucking understand! It was as if he was becoming schizophrenic. Otherwise he couldn't understand why his mind had been coming up with weird shit all afternoon like _she's our mate _or _she is a worthy mate to any vampire but she is ours. _Yeah, the only explanation was that this person in front of him, whoever she was, was driving him fucking nuts.

This Elena should scare him, should make him want to run as fast as he could in the other direction because she seemed as strong and ruthless as Katherine. And what had made him fall in love with Elena was her compassionate nature, her humanity. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't squash the intense lust he felt for her that had been magnified a thousand fold after she threatened to stake him and he realized she was serious. And it was only growing worse the more she stood up to him.

"So, explain to me how you got away from Klaus and got the cure, then," he said to her as if he'd caught her out in a lie, trying desperately to get his raging hormones and his inner vampire under control.

"I broke his neck, stabbed him through the heart, dragged you over to him, fed you his blood then dragged you over to the Lockwood cellar entrance and called Ric to get you," she said sarcastically, opting for the truth even though she knew he'd never believe her. It was still funny though.

Damon, of course, didn't disappoint and started to laugh. "You broke Klaus' neck? Please. For one, you aren't strong enough to do it and two, it's not something you would do. And what did you stab him with? A nail file?"

Nope, he would never admit out loud that his inner beast, which was starting to look more and more like a huge cat, was purring so loudly he was damn sure she could hear it. He was fucking losing his mind! His cock had hardened to the point of pain when the words had left her lips. The sheer ruthlessness and strength he could see simmering just below the surface of her skin turned him on so much it was fucking ridiculous. Yup, he was fucked in the head. There was no other explanation for it because a part of him was still convinced this was Katherine somehow and that meant he was falling for the crazy bitch again. Maybe she had taken over Elena's body somehow…

And then another thought hit him. He could see his inner beast? Since when and how was it even possible? And why did it look like a panther? He'd have expected a demon. What the hell was going on around here?

Elena rolled her eyes. She was sorely tempted to give him the finger, right in the solar plexus with one of her claws. "Yeah Damon, I stabbed him with a nail file and then let him fuck me senseless. He demanded a month of sexual slavery from me for your cure," she snapped, "and I agreed."

She didn't know what made her angrier. The fact that he didn't believe she could take care of herself, even though she knew his assumption was logical, or the fact that their argument was making her skin burn with need. That her lower body was gushing so badly she was surprised it hadn't soaked through to her jeans. She was just grateful that he couldn't smell her arousal. Or maybe he could and simply didn't realize what it was because her physiology was so different? She could only hope.

Damon's face went white and then he vamped out on her, yet he growled like a wolf, jealousy evident in every tense muscle of his body. "So, you're telling me that you agreed to sleep with him for the next month just to cure me," he asked, his tone menacing.

"Sleep, fuck, do other kinky shit," she said with a shrug. Baiting the vampire was actually fun, she thought as she saw the tic in his jaw pick up speed.

"So, I get a pity kiss when I'm dying and Klaus gets a whole month of sex? What the fuck is going on with you Elena?" Damon demanded. He couldn't believe he was hearing this shit. It had to be the twilight zone. "Since when did you turn into a whore? If you're missing Stefan that much, you could have come to me. I'd fuck you gladly," he sneered at her angrily. She fucking let Klaus touch her. She touched him, willingly and now she was giving herself over to the psychotic bastard but she wouldn't even kiss him. The vampire inside him roared in rage and demanded vengeance on the hybrid who would dare touch what belonged to him.

As he expected, she raised her hand and slapped him. What he didn't expect was for it to fucking hurt! "Idiot!" she snapped. "First of all, I didn't fuck Klaus and I'm not going to. We made a deal that was beneficial for both of us. You live and I don't turn into a vampire. Pretty simple. Second, you moron, if you hadn't shown up I wouldn't have had to make a deal in the first place," she shouted at him. "And if I need to get laid, you're the fucking last person I'd ask!" When Damon flinched Elena felt like kicking herself but he had such a talent of getting under her skin that she was surprised she hadn't stabbed him yet.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Elena. At least I know where I rank on your list of priorities. Just above shit and apparently way below Klaus," he snapped at her. He quickly hid the pain in his eyes but she wasn't human anymore and she saw it before he dropped his mask of indifference back into place.

Her anger fizzled out and died when she was faced with his pain. She was becoming soft in the head but she couldn't help it where he was concerned. She hated to see him hurt and that's why she had to get as far away from his as possible. He made her want things she couldn't have.

She sighed and cupped his face with both hands. She shivered at the contact, as an electric current slammed into her, amplifying her lust to the point she was surprised her markings hadn't started to glow because every cell in her body crying out for him. When he tried to hide his own shudder and made a move to back away, she simply went with him. He tried again and again, taking one then two then three steps back. She moved with him until his back was up against a wall. She was just as stubborn as he was and now any form of fear of him had disappeared, even though her human self should have already known it, the new and improved her knew that Damon would rather die than hurt her intentionally. In any case, now he couldn't even if he tried.

"Finished running away?" she asked softly as she stared into those fascinating blue-grey eyes of his that were framed with sooty lashes so thick most women would envy him.

"Don't do this Elena. You can't touch me like this and then tell me it's going to be Stefan. Please, just leave me be," he said, his voice cracking.

"Damon, don't you get it? I would have slept with Klaus to save you. I would have handed myself over to be his personal sex toy if it was the only way to save your life," she whispered to him, her thumb gently smoothing over his left cheekbone, Jeremy's words fresh in her mind. Maybe he was worth the risk. Maybe he wouldn't betray her. Maybe he could love the monster that she was. Because _she_ was the real monster. She was more of a monster than he had ever been.

Damon's eyes widened at her admission. He stared into her eyes and knew she meant it. However, what he found surprising was that for some reason he believed she not only would do it, but that she could pull it off easily. There was something different about her and not just physically because a part of him now was certain this wasn't Katherine. That bitch would never willingly sacrifice herself for someone else. It made him feel slightly better that he wasn't as much of a masochist as he had begun to believe.

"I'm not worth it, Elena," he said with a sigh. "I don't deserve a friend like you and I don't want you to ruin whatever you might have left with my brother over my stupidity," he said, making a half-hearted attempt at being the better man.

Elena groaned and backed away from Damon. The only thing that drove her more insane than Damon's half-cocked hair-brain ideas was when he started criticizing himself. So, distance was advisable or otherwise she was liable to maim him.

Of course, the idiot took it the wrong way. A bark of laughter laced with pain followed her movement and when she looked up at him, he had the usual smirk in place, his eyes devoid of emotion. "Don't worry about me, Elena. I can take care of myself. Stefan's the one who needs you. He couldn't organize his way out of a paper sack, as we can clearly see with his most recent attempt at besting Klaus. I don't need anyone. I never have and never will," he said with a snort.

Eyes narrowing, a fist hidden behind her back with her claws extended and teeth gritting were the only signs that Elena was upset. Then again, she wondered whether her anger was justified or not. After all, Damon was trying to protect himself the only way he knew how and she had been giving off mixed signals for months, a fact she could now see. For some reason, at that moment, an image popped into her head. It was the night he had demanded that she remember how she felt for him once Stefan was back. When he had demanded that she didn't forget she cared for him. Elena snorted to herself. If only he knew.

But she wouldn't keep pushing, not when she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. What she should do. Her heart and body cried out for him, a mixture of genetics and emotion pushing her to tell him the truth. To tell him she loved him more than life itself. But her mind imposed logic on her and reminded her of all the reasons she could never do it. The first one being that her life really was fucked up beyond measure. He had a hard time dealing with Klaus chasing her ass all over the place. What if he were to learn she was bigger and badder than Klaus and that there was something even worse after her? Nope, she didn't see it ending well.

Then there was the small matter of her responsibilities and to be honest, she couldn't focus on what she had to do if she knew Damon was in danger. And since she knew him so well, she knew Damon would always put himself right in the thick of things. She'd be so worried about him that she would either end up dead or become a complete selfish bitch and do anything to keep him safe, including leaving the Galaxy to its fate and whisking him off to some distant world where they could never be found.

Suddenly, the world around her went black and she felt herself falling faster and faster until she was looking at herself. She was standing in her father's throne room of all places and looking down at herself. Her other self was kneeling on the floor next to a body, moaning and crying.

"_By the stars, no!" she was moaning. "You fucking promised! You promised if I gave you the alliance, you wouldn't hurt him!" she screamed at her father. _

_Her father laughed scornfully. "And I didn't hurt him. He died painlessly," he answered. _

"_I will kill you! No, first I will take you apart piece by piece. I'll make what you did to me look like a walk in the park. I'll destroy every last one of your men who dared touch him. You will never know peace. From this moment on, all you will know is an eternity of agony and darkness. Welcome to my world," she stated coldly, and so menacingly that even her father blanched._

Before the scene shimmered out of focus, she managed to see the body she had been crying over in her vision. It was Damon! His skin gray, a wooden stake protruding from his chest. She gasped. She had to do something. She knew she had just had a vision of a possible future. She didn't get them often but when she did, they were meant as warnings that usually something bad was going to happen to someone close to her. So, she tended to listen to what they had to say.

And this one was pretty much saying that if she brought Damon into her world, he would die. She would betray her people, he would die and she would go insane. She had to stay away from him. She had to keep him at arm's length for his own safety and for the success of the rebellion.

So, she hardened her heart because she knew the words that would leave her lips next would hurt him. But he would be safe and he would be alive. In the end, that was all that mattered. "You're right, Damon. You always are. You don't need me to protect you and I know that. I guess I was doing it out of loyalty to Stefan. I don't want him thinking the worst of me so I couldn't let you die, especially when he sacrificed so much to save your life. I love him so much that I can't bear the thought of him hating me," she said.

Damon had known. He had always known that he would never get the girl and that Elena would always love Stefan but to hear it again, especially after the way she had acted and what she had said, hurt so much he wanted to die there and then. What the hell was the point of living anyway? He'd always be alone. He didn't deserve anything else. But his inner monster screamed, clawed and kicked in anger. _She is lying! She cares for us! Make her tell the truth!_ It roared and raged in his head. The pull was so powerful that he couldn't help it. He stalked towards her, backing her up and caging her against the wall, his hands planted firmly on the wall either side of her head.

"You're lying," he hissed at her. "You told me you cared about me. You can't take that back!"

Elena's eyes widened. She had to convince him. She had to. It was her only chance to do what must be done. "I do care Damon but not the way you want me to," she said softly.

"Why are you doing this, Elena? Why are you lying? To yourself and to me? You know there's more between us," he rasped, his voice filled with anguish. "You know I would do anything for you." And that's exactly what frightened her. She knew he would put himself in danger and get himself killed for her because what she dealt with on a daily basis made Klaus look like a puppy. But the sheer agony in Damon's eyes made her decision for her. She would make him hate her. It was the only way for her to be able to walk away. She'd much rather he hated her than see him in pain. Hate was good because he wouldn't suffer anymore.

"There isn't anything else between us, Damon! Don't you get it? You scare me! I can't tell you the truth because I'm afraid you'll snap and kill people. How can I love someone I would be afraid to argue with over where we'd go out to dinner in case he went on a fucking rampage and murdered everyone? I do care about you but as a friend, as someone who needs help and you even make that hard! The unstable monster is still lurking inside you and I can't deal with it! I just can't!" she was practically screaming at him.

Every word felt like acid, burning her mouth and her hearts until there was nothing left except a huge, gaping hole. The sheer agony imprinted on Damon's face made her want to fall to her knees and beg his forgiveness but she couldn't. This was about keeping him safe and about her own responsibilities, not about what she wanted. She had given up hope of having the life she wanted long ago and had made the mistake of allowing herself to soften for a short while because she had been so far removed from her old life. But reality was creeping in slowly, reminding her that her life was not really her own and wouldn't be until the Galaxy was free.

Damon studied her face for a tiny sign that she was lying, that she didn't really still think of him as a monster but her eyes were cold. Yet his foolish heart and even more foolish inner predator still hoped. "You're lying. Fuck, Elena, tell me you're lying and you don't mean it," he said, his voice cracking under the sheer terror in his heart.

Elena knew she would never recover. She knew that she was about to destroy any soft feelings he had ever had for her and she hated herself for it. She hated her father for being a psychotic bastard who had put her in this position, she hated what she was, she hated every higher being that had decided she should be the only one who could confront and destroy the Emperor and she hated Ramsjehin for being the one to deliver said message. But her life hadn't been her own for a very long time. So, she schooled her features into a mask of anger and disgust and allowed the words to fall from her lips; words she knew would destroy any chance she might have had of being happy because he would never forgive her for this.

"No matter how hard you try to change, Damon, deep down you're still a psychopath and a murderer. How could you possibly think I could really feel anything for you?" she demanded coldly.

His face hardened into what she had wanted to see but it killed her when she did. Complete, total and utter hatred. When he pulled away from her as if he was disgusted to even be in her vicinity, she used every ounce of self-control she could muster not to crumple in a heap at his feet and tell him she loved him more than her own life. Fuck! This was the first time in her life when she wanted to be like her father because he wouldn't have given a shit about responsibility or anyone else. He wouldn't have given a crap about being the better person. He would have taken what he wanted and fucked everyone in the process.

"Thanks Elena. I'm glad you told me how you really feel," Damon said and disappeared a moment later. Elena leaned her head against the wall, frozen in place, listening to make sure he had really gone. Then she allowed herself to slide down the wall until she was sitting, hugging her knees to her chest. The tears would no longer be contained and they flowed freely. What had she done? She'd done the right thing, hadn't she? Damon wouldn't be in danger and couldn't be used against her. And she could go back and finish what she had started. She had done the right thing. But then why did it feel so wrong? Why wouldn't the pain stop and why couldn't she seem to bring herself to care about everything that had been so important to her in her previous life? Probably because she had ripped her own hearts out.

She felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and, in her foolishness, she wished it was Damon but her acute sense of smell told her that it was Jeremy. "Shh," he whispered, as he held her tightly. "I heard everything," he said softly. The sadness she heard in his voice only made her feel worse and she started sobbing.

"Oh Jer, tell me I did the right thing," she cried as she buried her face in his shirt and held onto him for dear life.

Jeremy looked down at Elena and felt his heart break for her. "I can't Elena," he said, knowing that he had to be honest with her. "You know how I feel about it and, honestly, I think you really fucked up this time. You hurt him bad, Elena," he said to her.

"I know," she whimpered. "But so many people rely on me and with him around, I keep forgetting all about the duty, the responsibilities I have. I had to get away from him because my hearts soften and my resolve weakens whenever he looks at me and it's so easy to forget and stop caring about everything else except him." It was so hard to admit her weakness. So terrifying to sound so selfish. And it wasn't as if she could admit she'd had a vision of her betraying her people and Damon dying. "By the stars, Jer," she cried harder, "I hurt him because I'm a weak, selfish fool! I wasn't strong enough to leave him so I hurt him to make him leave me!"

Jeremy felt a tear roll down his cheek at the pain he felt wracking Elena's body. He didn't know how, but he could actually feel her despair. He could feel the conflicting emotions inside her. Her need to protect and defend those weaker than her and her fear that she was too weak to do the right thing. To return to her world and leave Damon behind. And she had to leave him behind because he could be used against her. Used to turn her into what she hated most. _Her father?_ What the hell? He didn't know how he knew what she was thinking, but he could feel it to the marrow of his bones and it made it easier to understand her decision.

"Your father?" he whispered softly, trying to make sense of it all. Elena suddenly stopped crying and almost jumped out of his arms.

"What did you say?" she whispered.

"I don't know how but it's almost like I can hear your thoughts and feel your emotions," he said softly. "Your fear that Damon will be used to turn you into your father."

Elena blanched and realized the connection between them was stronger than she could have possibly imagined. But it wasn't possible! Only close-knit Dirilian families and mates could sense each other's thoughts and emotions. It couldn't be! But she tried listening and she realized she could sense his thoughts and emotions as well. She could feel his sadness at seeing her in pain, his fear that she would leave behind like she intended to do with Damon because he would be a liability, his abject terror at being all alone, without her. "Jer," she whispered in shock. "I can sense your thoughts and emotions too. This can't be."

"What's going on, Elena?" Jeremy asked, panic starting to take hold of him at Elena's distressed look.

"The only way this could be happening is if we really are blood-related, if we are really brother and sister in every sense," she whispered. What the hell was going on?

Jeremy looked at her in surprise and she could feel the happiness that was blooming in him. "I'm like you?" he whispered in awe.

"There's no other explanation," she replied. And that's when she realized that Jeremy really was her family and that their people weren't really extinct. It made her start crying again because she no longer felt so alone.

_I wouldn't have left you alone even if we weren't blood related. _She heard Jeremy's voice in her mind and she looked at him in surprise, a warm feeling blooming in her chest, where she had thought she could no longer feel.

Jeremy didn't know how he had spoken to her telepathically. He simply knew he could and had seemed to know instinctively how to do it. "How can this be?" he asked out loud.

"I really don't know but I have a suspicion Ramsjehin knows," she explained and shared her memories of the old man who was her mentor and her savior.

"Why are you so worried about becoming like your father?" Jeremy asked, remembering the weird thought that he had heard floating in her mind.

Elena laughed and the sound made Jeremy freeze. It was a sound that was so menacing and humorless, he actually felt the jaws of fear clamp down on his heart. He couldn't understand his reaction because he knew this was Elena and she'd never hurt him, yet all the same he was terrified.

"I'll tell you some other time, Jer," she said. "You're not ready to hear that particular story yet."

"Yes I am," he demanded, managing to get control of his fear.

"No, Jer. You aren't ready to hear it and I'm certainly not ready to tell it," she stated adamantly. She couldn't watch the light of adoration fade from his eyes only to be replaced with hatred as well. Damon was enough for one night.

"Please, Elena," he whispered. "I need to understand."

She looked at him sadly and stood. She turned her back to him and stared out into the night, looking up at the stars. They were so beautiful, like jewels twinkling in the black velvet of the darkness. It all looked so peaceful, yet appearances could be so deceiving. Look at her father. Look at her. They were both descendants of an honorable, powerful race and outwardly were both stunningly beautiful people. Yet, beneath the surface, they were twisted and wrong and her father was pure evil. But you couldn't tell if you looked at him because he still had the face of an angel. It was only when you looked into his eyes that you could see the monster that lurked beneath the polished veneer.

"My father is the Emperor," she said softly. At Jeremy's gasp, her back stiffened.

"You mean your father is the evil despot you have been fighting against?" Jeremy asked in shock. His pity beat at her and it angered her. She needed no one's pity! Not even Jeremy's.

"Yes, and it's quite probable that he's your father too," she said harshly. His shocked intake of breath made her feel bad but he had no idea how bad their father really was. And it would be a while before she could tell him the truth. How could she do that now? How could she shatter his illusions? He was still young and she wouldn't do that to him, though it wouldn't even come within a million parsecs of what had been done to her. Of how her innocence had been stripped from her, leaving nothing but cold, hard emptiness and a need to hurt those weaker than her.

"Why do you hate him so much?"

Elena simply snorted. "You mean besides the fact that he rules with terror and subjugates all those around him to his insane will? Or the fact that he would happily kill and torture anyone, from a baby to an old man if they so much as looked at him wrong?"

Jeremy balked, having a hard time believing her words, yet her emotions swamped him and somehow he knew the truth was even worse than she was letting on. However, she kept her mind a careful blank and he couldn't read any thoughts of their father.

Elena bent her head and took a deep breath, locking the painful memories away. She wasn't ready to tell him yet. She knew she had to tell him everything, to make him understand why the Emperor had to be destroyed, but she wasn't ready for it yet. Maybe in a few days, a few weeks, a few years… Who knew? Maybe she would never have to.

"I still think you made a mistake with Damon," Jeremy said softly, his voice right behind her. She could feel the warmth of his body as he stood behind her but she resisted the urge to lean back and seek comfort. The memories of her youth had reminded her why it wasn't a good idea to get attached to anyone or anything. It was a lesson she had found difficult to learn but she had learnt it very well. She had been her father's star student after all and among his lessons was the reminder that attachments made one weak. And weakness was something she could ill afford at the moment.

"I did what I did to keep him safe and to make sure I can do what needs to be done," she said, her voice flat. Jeremy shrugged. He could feel little in the way of emotions from her except for steely resolve. "Someday, you'll understand why I had to do it, Jer."

"I guess…" her brother replied doubtfully.

"My life hasn't been my own in longer than I can remember. And until the Empire falls, it will never be. I just hope I'm alive to see it fall," she said softly as she turned around and looked up at him.

"You know I'll stand by you, no matter what," he said softly as he pulled her into a hug. He might have felt ridiculous at any other time, being so touchy feely with his sister. But almost losing her, then making all these discoveries had made him realize that the only thing they really had was each other.

"Thank you," she whispered to him. Elena shook off the pain, figuratively picking herself up and dusting herself off. She had more than enough experience with pain and she knew when to use it to her advantage. She had also learned how to shrug it off and close off her hearts from feeling it. Another valuable lesson her dear darling father had taught her. The hard way, of course. "Come on. Let's get some shuteye. One thing you will learn very quickly is to take sleep wherever and whenever you can get it because we rarely have a chance to rest," she said with a small smile.

Jeremy nodded and smiled at her. They walked up the stairs, still holding on to each other. He kissed the top of her head. "Good night, Lenny. I'll see you in the morning," he said.

She nodded. "Good night Jer. Get some rest, we've got a ship to work on tomorrow," she said as she winked. She couldn't help the grin that graced her features when his face lit up in delight.

She retreated into her room and closed the door behind her. She undressed and didn't bother with pajamas. She rarely used them in her other life since she was on call round the clock and taking the time to change out of night clothes into her armor was a waste of time. Time she could spend grabbing a few more minutes of much needed rest. She fell into bed and quieted her mind, something she had learned long ago so she could sleep. If she allowed the memories to invade her mind, she would never rest again. And that was the only reason she managed to fall asleep and forget about the fact that she had destroyed her one chance at happiness. When her breathing evened out and she had entered a dreamless sleep, though, a tear made its way out of the corner of her eye.

* * *

><p>Damon stalked into the boarding house, his heart frozen in pain and hatred. He had been a fool. Such a damn fool! He had allowed himself to believe for one moment that things would be different with Elena. That she could really see him. See inside his heart and understand him. He was a fucking dick!<p>

He was a monster, as she had said, and he didn't deserve to be loved. This time he had learned his lesson well, he thought with a sneer as he debated whether to use a glass or not. He shrugged and picked up the bottle of whisky, taking a long drink. "You're a fucking idiot Damon Salvatore. You never get the girl and you sure as shit will never be loved," he sneered at himself.

His heart had shattered into a million pieces at Elena's earlier words. And the look of disgust on her face as she had stared at him had destroyed every last vestige of hope he had had of ever being happy. She thought him a monster? Fine, he'd fucking show her! He'd prove her right. He'd show her he was the self-serving psychopath she believed him to be. He'd make Stefan the Ripper look like a teddy bear before he was done, he thought angrily as he threw yet another bottle into the roaring flames of the fireplace.

He'd show her. He'd show them all that they should be afraid of him. "What happened?" he heard Ric's voice. He hadn't realized the man hadn't left. It was a perfect opportunity. He could prove to them that they were all right to fear him. That they were all right about him. But he couldn't bring himself to kill the teach. He was a fucking moron!

"She told me I was a monster she couldn't feel anything for," he said with a whisper. Ric had been the one to convince him to talk to Elena after he had related the story of what he had seen in the woods. At first, Teach had found it hard to believe but, in the end, he told Damon to go and talk to Elena. He had been certain he was dead and had been more than surprised to wake up and find himself cured. When Ric had told him it had been Elena's doing he had just stared in shock. That's what had made his decision for him. So, he had gone to talk to Elena.

"What the hell did you do?" Ric practically shouted, knowing that Elena wouldn't react like that for no good reason. He dreaded the answer, hoping that Damon hadn't snapped and broken Jeremy's neck again.

"I didn't do anything," Damon snarled. "I only asked her what the hell she had been doing."

"Did you ask or did you snarl, growl, snap and make accusations?" Ric asked suspiciously. At Damon's sheepish look, he realized the conversation between the two of them had likely been less than polite. "You snarled, didn't you? Damon! How the fuck do you expect her to react to you when you go feral on her?"

"I didn't go feral," Damon said, affronted. "I just sort of implied she was acting out of character and that she was probably Katherine trying to drive us nuts."

Ric groaned. "Great! You're a fucking genius, man. After all she's been through the past twenty-four hours, she really needed you accusing her of being that bitch. Please tell me you didn't make any other stupid comments."

Since Damon was looking everywhere except at him, Ric knew he wasn't going to like what he was going to hear. "I might have, sort of implied she was a whore…"

"You did what!" Ric shouted. "Okay, you deserve whatever she did or said to you. Are you a complete moron? Do you think that's the way to win her over?"

"Look, I fucking went crazy when I saw her again. I couldn't get the image of her and Klaus out of my mind. Especially when she told me she'd willingly sleep with him if it meant saving my life," he snapped at Ric, though he made sure to tone down the language Elena had actually used.

"She said that?" Ric asked stunned.

"Yeah, Ric, she did. Why did you think I suspected her of being Katherine? How could she even think of sleeping with that monster?"

"So, you're telling me that with one breath she tells you she'd sleep with Klaus to save your life and with the next she's telling you that she can't feel anything for you because you're a monster?" Ric asked. It was as if Damon had been talking to two different people. Or the vampire hadn't told him everything and he had done something to piss Elena off. "You sure you didn't kill anyone?"

"Of course I'm fucking sure. I may be psychotic but I'm not fucking retarded," he growled back. Ric raised his hands in supplication.

"Alright, alright. I get it, you didn't kill anyone. But why the sudden about face? She basically says she'd do anything to keep you alive and then tells you she doesn't give a crap. Something is definitely wrong with this picture," Ric said pensively.

"Ric, she just finally worked up the courage to tell me the truth. The only thing wrong with this picture is that I've been living a fucking lie."

"I'm sorry man," Ric said, running a hand through his hair. He really did feel bad for the vampire, especially when he saw the suffering and utter misery on his face. It was a rare moment for Damon to allow his emotions to show, which made him realize how bad it really was.

"I hate her, Ric. I hate her like I've never hated a woman in my life. I hate her more than I ever hated Katherine," he said furiously. Ric looked at him curiously but knew he was lying. He hurt but he didn't hate Elena. He could see it on the vampire's face.

"I get it, Damon. I really do. But what did you expect?" he asked. "She's a young girl and she's overwhelmed. You're so intense. You've been around for almost two centuries and you feel everything with the intensity of a vampire. She's just a damn kid Damon," he finally said what he had been thinking for months. She was just too young for the vampire.

"What the fuck has that got to do with it? She seems quite happy to date Stefan but she thinks I'm a fucking monster. What about him and all the shit he's pulled? He makes me look like the fucking Easter Bunny!" Damon raged, hiding his pain with anger.

"Damon, you and Stefan are a world apart. He never matured. He's still as much a kid as she is. But you… You're a man and Elena is not ready for that," Ric said softly. "Don't hate her Damon. Understand her and give her time. Give her time to be a kid and to grow up."

Damon looked at Ric as if he'd gone insane. "You don't get it, Ric. She fucking hates my guts. No matter how much time I give her, she'll never see me as more than a monster," he said dejectedly.

"Are you that sure Damon? She did say she would willingly sleep with another man, a man she hates who tried to kill her and killed her aunt to keep you safe. Does that sound like someone who hates you?"

"Don't do this Ric," Damon snarled. "Let me hate her. I have to hate her or I won't survive."

Ric looked at his friend sadly and nodded. He'd keep quiet, for now. At least until he could get a better idea of what the hell was going on because the whole situation sounded off. Elena would never willingly hurt Damon like that and she certainly would never sleep with Klaus. Hell, he didn't even want to think what it meant if she had started to think like that.


	10. Chapter 9

Elena threw the ratchet across the cavern as she screamed in frustration. "You piece of shit rust bucket! What did they do? Find the biggest piece of _drun_ in the universe and expect me to fly it out of here! I might be a brilliant pilot but I'm not a fucking miracle worker!" she grumbled as she looked down at the jumble of wires in disgust.

"Hey!" she heard Jeremy exclaim as the ratchet just missed him. He had gone out to get some coffee and dinner and had just returned as she had let the ratchet fly.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"I'm guessing no luck, right?"

"Nothing. Not even a fricking spark of life. And there isn't much more I can do without getting inside her." They had been there since early morning, after telling Ric that they were going out to spend the day together. After Elena's "death" Ric hadn't questioned them so they had made it out of the house easily without having to give any other explanation.

They had stopped to buy some tools on the way to the caves and Jeremy had laughed watching Elena pick out tools. It was a sight he'd never thought to see, especially when she seemed to know what everything was for. It made _him_ feel stupid and he was a guy because he didn't know what half the stuff she needed was for, especially when she picked up a soldering iron, looking at it so happily, as if she'd found an oasis in the middle of the desert.

And they had been working constantly since morning with no results. At one point, he had made a suggestion but she had simply smiled at him and rolled her eyes.

"_Maybe it's out of gas," he had said. After all, it needed some type of fuel, didn't it? _

"_I wish it were that simple," she had said with a small laugh. "We don't use any form of fossil fuels. They would never be able to create sufficient power to run a spaceship without having a massive fuel tank, making it almost impossible to fly a ship out of a planet's atmosphere."_

"_So, then how is it powered?" he had asked curiously. _

"_It has a molecular vibration drive."_

"_Huh?"_

"_When molecules vibrate, they create energy. If they are allowed to reach maximum velocity, they burst into flames, but the drive keeps them at the right speed to create power yet not fast enough to cause a fire. The energy they give off is collected and stored in the power coils. That's why Bonnie had to do a spell for the Genseq to activate," she had explained._

"_Okay, I get the idea of molecular vibration but what does Bonnie have to do with it? She was doing a locator spell and she certainly wouldn't know she had to do anything to the Genseq to get it working…"_

"_No, she didn't know. What she also doesn't know is that witches don't technically work some supernatural power. Witches simply have the ability to control physical matter at a molecular level. They can reshape the molecular structure of things around them. For example, the fire Bonnie can create is simply the result of molecular vibration. She can just do it with her mind," Elena said, trying to explain a concept that to her was simple but for Jeremy would be incredibly complex since he had no idea what was really out there._

"_You're telling me Bonnie is an alien and she knows it?" he squawked. _

"_Uhm, Bonnie isn't an alien but she likely is descended from one. That's why she needs spells. They are simply words used as an anchor to help humans quiet their minds enough to work at a molecular level. There are many species who can do what she does and some are stronger than others. Hell, I know a Jentonan who was ugly as shit but the best friend you could have in a fight. He is so powerful, he can reorganize the molecules of your dinner into a damn transport," she said and Jeremy had stared in awe. _

"_I can see how he'd be useful to have around," he had said with a small laugh._

"_Yeah, he's a great friend but there are very few quite as powerful as he is. Anyway, coming back to Bonnie, when she started the spell, the molecules around her began to vibrate and the Genseq is designed to take power from wherever it can. Once it sensed the right type of energy, it simply latched on and began to draw it in."_

"_Man, this is fascinating. Basically you guys have overcome pollution and energy must be cheap as dirt," he thought pensively. "You know, we could become rich as Croesus if we introduced the concept here."_

"_Uhm, for one, I've already got more money than I can spend in another five Dirilian lifetimes and two, we aren't messing with the technology of this planet. It needs to evolve on its own."_

"_You're rich?" Jeremy asked in surprise._

"_I'm three thousand years old. I've been able to amass quite a fortune and I've got a pretty good head for business, which is another reason the rebel alliance values me so much. I pretty much make sure we always have the funding we need," she explained._

"_Okay, so you're a kick-ass pilot, can beat the crap out of anything, can take apart a ship and put it back together, are rich and can make money? Is there anything you can't do?" Jeremy had asked, looking at her stunned._

_Elena had laughed. "Plenty of things. I can't cook to save my life. My diplomatic skills are practically non-existent as I'd much rather shoot and ask questions later, I have a temper and tend to be quite impulsive, which is why I've gotten myself into more trouble than you can imagine over the years."_

"_Please… Those aren't weaknesses. I'm still having a hard time believing you're real," Jeremy had replied, studying her closely as if he expected her to disappear at any moment. _

"_Trust me, I'm not a paragon of goodness. Once we get back to the alliance, you'll see a side of me you might not like. But, sadly, that's the real me. Just remember that I do love you Jer, no matter what, okay?"_

_Jeremy had just nodded and kept silent. He understood. He didn't know how he could but he did. A part of him had expected that she would be different in her own world. She was a military commander and he had never heard of a successful soldier who was soft or weak. _

When he saw the ratchet start to float and move across the cavern into Elena's hand, though, he came back to the present with a thud. "What the hell?"

Elena looked up at him quickly. "I'm telekinetic," she explained. "It just took a while for the ability to return after the change."

"So, you can do all the molecular reshaping stuff too?"

Elena shook her head. "No, genetically speaking I'm a battle-class Dirilian so my body and talents are all designed to be useful in a fight. So, I'm telekinetic, I can regenerate almost anything, and the only thing that can kill me is an explosion strong enough to obliterate my cells, I'm great at military strategy and I can often see things before they happen in battle, which is why I have amazingly fast reflexes," she explained.

"So, does that mean I'll be like you?" Jeremy asked.

"Not necessarily. Our class is not designated by our genetic tree but by the overall population of Dirilians."

"Okay, you lost me."

"There are different classes in our species. Some are meant for battle, like me, while others are the equivalent of witches, bureaucrats, judges, inventors, traders and so on. Basically, everything you would need to create a functioning society and we are born with the genes and talents to fulfill those roles to perfection, including a love for what we are meant to do. So, if there aren't enough judges, for example, a justice-class Dirilian will be born. If there aren't enough witches – we call them creationists – then a creationist-class baby will be born and so on," she explained.

"Wow, that's incredible. So, basically, you know exactly what you will do with your life the moment you are born. Isn't that a little annoying, not being given a choice?"

"It's not really like that because even if we could choose, we would still choose what we were born to do. As I said, we are also born with a love for our designation in our society, or we'd have a lot of pissed-off, angry and depressed people. It's simply how our species and society has evolved over billions of years."

"Man, I have so much to learn," he said.

"Yeah, but as soon as we get this rust bucket running, you can sit down with the computer and go through some of our people's history. It will help you better understand us," she said with a small smile as she turned back to the mass of wires sticking out of the ship's hull.

Two hours later, Elena was still swearing like a sailor and Jeremy could feel the frustration and irritation rolling off her in waves. They had tried everything they could from the outside, according to her, but apparently the one thing they needed to do that would power up the ship was to bypass one of the power coils, which the ship's external readout had revealed was defective. Unfortunately, that could only be done from inside the ship.

"Fuck this!" Elena snarled. "I'm going to force the access ramp open. It's the only way. I hate to damage the hull but there's no way around it." She jumped down the twenty feet from the top of the ship, where she had been perched, much to Jeremy's dismay. He still couldn't get used to her being able to move like that, though he had to admit it was damn useful.

It pissed him off that he couldn't do it, though it seemed he was at least part Dirilian, like her. She had explained that his genetics had most likely been rewritten, like hers, but until they reached a properly equipped medical facility, she wasn't willing to tamper with his genetic code. To be honest, he agreed with her. He didn't want to end up some freak with four heads, horns and a tail.

"Will it still fly?" Jeremy asked. Though he knew little of space flight, he was pretty sure an intact hull was imperative to the safety of anyone inside the ship.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. I'm not going to blast her open or anything but it will shorten the lifespan of the ship because of the microscopic cracks this will probably cause. It can't be helped though. I don't have the right equipment and without it, I can't fix what's wrong from the outside."

"So, how exactly are you going to open her up?"

"Like this," she said as she marched up to the faint outline of an access ramp on the underbelly of the ship. She lifted her arms as two long, ten inch wide blades extended out from her wrists. They must have been at least four inches thick and Jeremy shuddered at the thought of having those things coming out of his own skin. She slid the blades on either side of the door and Jeremy watched in stunned fascination as she began to manually pull the door open.

"Once I get it past a fifteen degree angle, she'll open automatically as the backup hydraulics kick in," Elena said as she grunted, struggling to pull the ramp to the right angle. Suddenly she was there and she stumbled back as the ramp whooshed down.

"Wow! I'm impressed!" And he was. He'd just watched Elena drag open a huge ramp that must have weighed at least a ton. She laughed and winked.

"Come on, let's find the astrodroid," she said as she boarded the ship. As she expected, there was no reaction from the transport but she still couldn't help the slight disappointment. She had hoped that maybe there would be enough power to run the internal systems. Apparently not. At least she had been lucky and had been able to provide enough power to the internal computer from her own implant to discover that there was an astrodroid on board. She only hoped the damn thing was functional.

She switched the flashlight on she had picked up on and was glad to see that all the doors were open. Thank the stars for small mercies. The last thing they needed was to have to deal with sealed doors between the various sections of the ship. She quickly made her way down to engineering, having left Jeremy studying his surroundings in rapt fascination.

She eventually found the droid, which looked like a huge metal spider with a spherical body. She was glad because it meant it was one of the more recent models. When she interfaced with it, it came to life instantly and she felt a wave of relief roll over her. She learned the designation of the droid from the connection and then issued orders.

"T7, I need you to bypass the second power coil. We need to get this baby up and running as soon as possible. Then, I need you to interface with the onboard computer and check if there are any other malfunctions. I want this ship flight-ready yesterday," she said.

"Yes, Admiral," the droid answered. It scurried off, blue and red lights lighting its way, and Elena breathed a sigh of relief.

She walked back to Jeremy. "We're in luck. T7 is fully functional, so he'll take care of the power coil…" she trailed off when she saw how pale her brother was. "What's wrong Jer?"

"Tyler called. Stefan never showed for the meeting and Klaus has gone insane. He's got Ric, Damon, Caroline and Bonnie and he's going to kill them if Stefan doesn't deliver. He's even more pissed at you for some reason and he said you need to get to the boarding house now or he's going to kill them anyway," he said worriedly.

Elena's eyes narrowed and she growled. "I'm going to kill Stefan," she declared angrily. Luckily, the power came on at that moment. "Thank goodness for small mercies," she whispered. Just then a voice sounded, breaking the silence.

"Welcome on board, Admiral D'Arkadia," the male voice said. "I am Malik, the ship's A.I. I have been waiting for you for some time."

"Thank you Malik, it is good to be aboard. I don't have time to run a full diagnostic on you now but I need to know if there is any weaponry on board and where it is. Also, this is Jeremy D'Arkadia, my brother. I want you to scan his genetic code. From now on, we are the only ones allowed to board this ship and you will only take orders from us unless I specify differently," she said quickly. She knew time was of the essence, especially with Damon's penchant for riling Klaus up.

"Yes, Admiral. The armory is fully equipped and is on the second level. I also must inform you that my sensors have detected the energy signature of an Imperial transport."

"What?" Elena snapped. How was this possible? The Empire had already found her? "Where is it?"

"It has already landed, Admiral. By the intensity of energy trail, my calculations tell me it landed less than half an Earth day ago," the computer continued.

"Malik, I want you to keep monitoring the skies and inform me the moment your sensors pick up any other Imperial ships." She turned to Jeremy. "I wasn't expecting them to find me so soon. Hell, I was hoping they wouldn't find me at all. Unfortunately, this means my secret will be out sooner than I had expected. This transport is only an advanced scout and that means a cruiser is likely on its way. We have to be out of here before the cruiser arrives or they will turn this planet into a wasteland looking for me."

Jeremy swallowed hard. "What about Klaus?"

"I suspect that his move is closely related to the landing of this imperial transport," she said pensively. The timing was too perfect for it to be a coincidence.

"You would be correct, Admiral," Malik intervened. "I have a message from Ramsjehin for you in my databanks that I believe will provide you with vital information."

"Tell me what you know of Klaus. I will listen to the message later since time is of the utmost importance."

"According to Master Ramsjehin, the one known as Klaus is not an indigenous life form to this planet. He is, in fact, an imperial experiment. A cross between a Belathorian and a Wolfran. The experiment was designed to create the perfect soldier," the A.I. quickly explained. "His family was transplanted…"

"Enough Malik. I don't need a history lesson right now," Elena interrupted the A.I. The situation was more fucked up than she had imagined. Klaus was a fucking imperial experiment! "What are his weaknesses?" she demanded of the A.I.

"Unknown," the A.I. responded. "Master Ramsjehin suspects that irrilium might have an adverse reaction with the cross-breed's physiology but is as yet unaware of anything that can kill him."

"Great, it just gets better and better. Jeremy, I need you to stay here…"

"No," he snapped. "I'm coming with you. You might need help and I'm definitely not leaving you to face Klaus alone."

"Jeremy, you're still human. You could die and I am not putting you in danger. You'll stay right here, where it's safe. Malik will lock the ship down and activate the defense systems."

"It will be an honor to protect the brother of the great Admiral D'Arkadia," the A.I. responded.

"Thank you Malik," she said.

"I'm not hiding out here like some coward," Jeremy insisted. "I have my ring, so I'll be safe. And if you don't take me with you, I'll just follow you."

"Jer, this isn't like before. If it's what I think it is, this is a trap. The scout has probably located Klaus and trust me, what he really wants is me. I don't need to give them another weapon against me and your ring won't help you against an Imperial scout."

"See, an even better reason for me to come. If it's a trap, you won't have to worry about getting everyone free. You can focus on beating the crap out of them, while I free everyone."

"Master D'Arkadia is correct," Malik intervened. "It is a strategy that has a higher probability of success without casualties than if you were to go in on your own. I have run the simulations, Admiral."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Men, no matter their species, always stick together, don't they?" she growled in annoyance. "Fine," she snapped. "Malik, is there a personal deflector shield on board?"

"Yes, Admiral, there is. In the armory."

"Come on, then, let's get you outfitted and then find Stefan," Elena said as she started to head to the armory. "Malik, I'm going to interface with you remotely and I need you to set up a permanent connection with my implant so we can communicate at all times. Can you get the ship out of this cavern if I need a quick get away?" she asked.

"According to the information in my databanks, the east wall of this cavern is an exit point to the surface. It can only be opened by your genetic code but it became active the moment my systems came online and I was able to scan you. Therefore, I can pilot the ship to any location you desire, Admiral, once you issue the order."

"Very good, Malik. It is unlikely I will require you, but just to make certain, please interface with T7 and run a full diagnostic. I want a complete readout of any other defects, so we can make the necessary repairs. I don't want to end up floating in the middle of space in a dead ship. Also, make sure the hyperdrive is fully functional."

"Yes, Admiral. Diagnostics are commencing," the A.I. replied. The doors to the armory slid open silently and Jeremy's eyes widened.

It was an impressive sight, though he had no idea what he was really looking at, other than the fact that they were weapons since they were in the armory.

"Malik, is there something I'm missing? There's enough weaponry in here to outfit a squadron."

"Master Dex felt that it was better to be safe than sorry," the A.I. responded.

Elena laughed. "Good old Dex."

"What's this?" Jeremy asked, looking at a black, triangular object that was about a foot long and thicker than his arm. It had a large hole in one end and what looked like a scope on one side.

"That's a plasma cannon," Elena explained. "They pack some serious firepower and are great because they leave your hands free for other weapons."

"How?"

"You mount it on your shoulder, instead of holding it. Then you can either interface with it, if you have an implant like me, or you can use that," she said as she pointed to a helmet, "to activate the targeting system. Basically, you can kill something or blow something up almost a mile away."

"Can I have it?" he asked with a grin. Elena laughed.

"Not this time Jer. We have to be inconspicuous and walking around in full body armor with a plasma canon on your shoulder does not for an inconspicuous picture make." Jeremy pouted.

"But I can pretend I'm going to a convention or something," he whined, his face hopeful.

"In Mystic Falls?" Elena asked skeptically.

"Fine," he conceded. Elena smiled and picked up something that looked like a Kevlar vest.

"Come here," she said. She handed him the vest when he approached. "Put it on." He looked at it doubtfully. It was black and seemed huge. It would never fit. But at the impatient look on Elena's face, he slipped it on. He gasped when he felt the strange material start to move. It shimmered slightly, became glossy and molded to his body until it was like a second skin.

"This will tingle a bit," Elena said, as she pressed just above his heart. He heard a soft hiss and the hair on his body stood up as a rushing, tingling sensation ran over his skin. He shuddered at the strange feeling but it was quickly forgotten when a blue glow enveloped him and then promptly disappeared.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"It's the technological version of irrilium armor. It's made out of energy and can deflect energy weapons as well as projectiles. Plus, anyone tries to bite you, and before they can even get close to touch you, they'll feel a very unpleasant zap," she said with a grin.

Jeremy's eyes widened. "Cool," he said with a grin. "So, I'm basically invulnerable, right?"

"Pretty much, but that doesn't mean you can't still be hurt, especially if the shield takes too much abuse. And that means no stupid heroics, no matter what you hear or see, okay?"

"Yes, Admiral," he said with a mock salute.

Elena snorted. "Very funny. Here," she said as she threw a small object at him that seemed shaped like a gun but had no trigger. "It is a gun except it fires plasma bolts. Just touch it where the trigger should be and make sure you're pointing it away from you," she explained as she pulled out what looked like a leather full-body suit.

"Turn around," she told him.

"Huh? Why?"

"Because you're my brother and I'm not getting naked in front of you, that's why," she said as she started to unbutton her jeans. Jeremy spun around.

"Yep, definitely not something I want to see," he said with a chuckle.

"Okay, I'm decent," she said a few moments later. When he turned around, his face fell in shock. Elena was wearing a full body suit that molded to her body like a second skin. It looked as if it was made from black leather and covered her from neck to her ankles. Her feet were encased in a pair of heavy combat boots and she had weapons strapped to her thighs as well as what looked like a large rifle on her back.

"Shit!" he exclaimed at the picture she made. "Is that you being inconspicuous?"

Elena laughed. She winked at him as she typed something onto a small screen on her forearm. The air around her shimmered, began to glow blue and he watched as the image she presented changed. Suddenly, she was dressed exactly as she had been moments earlier, in her jeans and a t-shirt.

"What the hell?"

"It's a camouflage suit," she explained. "It's covered in millions of nanites that project any image I want them to."

"That is beyond cool," he said, looking thoroughly impressed. She grinned and picked up a black bag, stuffing some different things in it. "What's that?" he asked her curiously.

"Let's see," Elena said as she studied the contents of the bag. "The high-tech equivalent of a lock picking set, a few _haktels – _stun grenades," she explained before he could ask, "some reinforced rope, a little laser plastique with a few remote activators and a lot of heavy-duty _zirx_ ties." Elena held up what looked like regular large plastic ties. "They're used on the large freighters to secure heavy containers to the bulkhead. These things can take at least twenty tons of pressure each and they still won't break, which makes them ideal as restraints for a wide range of species. They're also lighter to carry than plasma cuffs and cheap as dirt," she said with a small grin.

Jeremy looked at her strangely. He was still getting used to the new Elena and to see her packing away stuff like that and explain it so easily to him was strange. It was as if she was a completely different person. "So, besides the fact I have no idea what any of it is, why do we need all that stuff?" he asked. "I mean if you're as strong as Klaus, why the grenades, rope, restraints and a lock picking kit?" he questioned.

Elena sighed. "Because going in guns blazing left and right and knocking doors down isn't always the smart thing to do. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Add to that we have very little information on the situation we're walking into like the number of hostiles, where exactly they're holed up, what state the hostages are in and you'll understand why I prefer to be prepared," she explained.

Jeremy's eyes widened at her dispassionate tone and words. It was as if she was disconnecting from the whole situation.

"So, are we ready to kick some hybrid ass?" she asked and he nodded.

"Why are we going after Stefan?" he asked as he followed her out of the ship.

"Malik, lock the ship down. Once we've left the cavern, make sure no one can get in except us."

"Yes, Admiral," the A.I. responded as the ramp whooshed closed behind them.

"We're going after Stefan because we need to sort this stupidity out. He's taken Klaus' family and until the moron hybrid gets them back, he won't stop."

"But how are we going to find him?" Jeremy asked.

"Malik," she said, testing their remote connection.

"_Yes, Admiral?"_ she heard the reply in her mind.

"I need you to interface with the internet and find this location for me," she said as she showed the A.I. a picture of what she had seen while she was in transition. "I know where Stefan is, but I just need Malik to find the exact location for us," she explained to Jeremy as he looked at her curiously.

A few minutes later, they were approaching the car. _"Admiral, the location in question is exactly five miles outside of Mystic Falls, to the north. It is an abandoned farmhouse."_

Elena nodded. "We have a location. Let's go."


	11. Chapter 10

"Stefan!" Elena shouted outside the farmhouse. Jeremy was watching from the car. They had decided not to barge in for the simple reason that Elena didn't want to give herself away if she didn't have to. So, she'd try and reason with him. But if it took too long, she was going to do it the hard way. Klaus hadn't given her much time and she'd be damned if she let anyone get hurt, especially over Stefan's stupidity.

"What are you doing here, Elena?" Stefan asked as he opened the door and leaned against the doorjamb.

"I wonder," she said sarcastically. "Could it have something to do with those coffins in there and the fact that Klaus is holding Damon, Ric, Bonnie and Caroline hostage?"

Stefan's eyes widened. "He's what?"

"Stefan, seriously. What did you think he was going to do when you didn't show up? Play nice?"

"I warned him that if he hurt you, I'd make sure he never sees his family again," Stefan said, still stunned that Klaus had ignored his threat.

"When are you going to learn? You think you can outwit Klaus? Beat him at his own game? We'll all be dead long before you can even think of moving those coffins."

"Elena, if I give these coffins over to him, I might as well kill myself now," he said.

"Well, you should have fucking thought of that before pulling a stupid stunt like this," Elena snapped at him. "Now, you're going to come with me and tell Klaus exactly where he can collect his family. If you don't, I'll do it for you and let Klaus have you."

Stefan stared at Elena in surprise. She was definitely acting different. For one, he'd never heard her use harsh language, and that had come as a bit of a surprise. And secondly, he was surprised at her willingness to hand him over to Klaus. "You won't do that, Elena. You still love me," he said. "And I find I like having leverage over Klaus, so I don't think I'm going to tell him anything."

The smug expression on his face made Elena want to slap him. "You're wrong Stefan. I'll happily tell him where you are because you got yourself in this shit and I don't see why the rest of us should suffer for your stupidity. Now, you have a choice. Do the right thing and come with me, or I'll do it for you."

Stefan just shrugged. "Do what you will, Elena," he said and turned around, shutting the door behind him.

"What are we going to do now?" Jeremy asked as he got out of the car.

"Take him with us, of course," she said with a cold smile. Jeremy just nodded and watched as Elena stalked over to the closed door. When she kicked it in and the door slammed against the wall, Jeremy grinned.

"Stefan!" she shouted as she marched into the small cottage. She had been going for the element of surprise and there was certainly nothing that would surprise Stefan more than Elena kicking the door in.

"What the hell?" she heard him shout. The vampire appeared in front of her, his fangs out. "Get out of here, Elena!" he snarled, clearly not

"No!" she snapped at him. "You're coming with us, whether you like it or not!"

"You know, if we kill her, we can get rid of Klaus forever," a voice said behind her as she was forcefully pulled back against someone.

"Hello, Katherine," Elena said coldly. "I should have known this was your stupid idea."

"I think it's a rather brilliant plan," the vampire replied.

"Yeah, was getting Damon killed part of that brilliant plan?"

"What?" Katherine asked in surprise, loosening her grip slightly. Maybe she could still talk her way out of this because Elena really didn't feel like letting Katherine in on her little secret.

"Didn't Stefan tell you? Klaus has Damon and everyone else and he's threatening to kill them if we don't hand his family over."

"Stefan?" Katherine growled, letting go of her and stalking over to the other vampire. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you'd want to save Damon and …"

"And what? You want him dead?" Elena growled angrily. How could he?

"No!" Stefan shouted. "But Damon will be fine. He always survives and this is the only way we can be free of Klaus."

"Do you call this free, you moron?" Elena snapped at him. "Holed up in a dingy farmhouse with a bunch of coffins?"

Stefan just shrugged. Elena turned to Katherine. "Klaus has lost it and he will kill Damon. Now, you can either bring him," she said pointing in disgust at Stefan, "or I'll take him myself."

"You? What can you do? You need me," Katherine snapped at her replica. "And he'll be coming with you. Damon won't die." Elena relaxed somewhat. At least the bitch still cared enough about Damon not to let him die. "And I'm going to make sure of it," the vampire snarled as she broke Stefan's neck and threw him over her shoulder. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

><p>"Fuck!" Damon snarled in agony as Klaus shoved another stake in his gut. The pain was excruciating, especially since he was tied down with vervain soaked ropes. He didn't know how much longer he could stand the pain before his body gave up and he passed out. He only hoped his brother would arrive before Elena did something stupid, like trying to rescue them.<p>

Oh, he knew now that she wouldn't come for him but she would definitely hand herself over to Klaus to save the others. Caroline was screaming in a corner as a hybrid worked her over, much the same as Klaus was doing to him. Bonnie was lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, where she had fallen after Klaus had backhanded her for trying the aneurysm trick on him and Ric was struggling to get free from the ropes they had tied him up with. Thankfully, they hadn't tried to torture Teach yet.

Yeah, Elena would come for them and likely get herself mangled in the process. Klaus wouldn't kill her because he needed her but that didn't mean he wouldn't maim her. As long as she was alive, she was fair game. What Damon couldn't understand, though, was why Klaus was so angry with her. After all, they had been pretty cozy with each other when he had last seen them together.

"I wonder if your dear brother will come to save you this time," Klaus sneered at him as he pulled the stake out and slammed it down into his leg. Damon screamed in agony.

"You better fucking kill me, asshole, because if you don't, I'm going to find you and feed you your intestines, you piece of shit," Damon growled.

"Shut up, Damon," Ric hissed at him but he was far beyond logical thought. The pain was driving him and all he could think of was revenge. Revenge on the hybrid for touching what he could never touch and for the situation they were in.

"Don't worry, mate. That's the plan. I just want to make sure you suffer, first," Klaus said, as he stabbed him through the shoulder, drawing another scream from the vampire.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of a door slamming open and watched in amazement as Elena stalked in, Stefan thrown over her shoulder. No, this was Katherine, Damon realized when he couldn't hear a heartbeat. The fact she was carrying Stefan should have been a dead giveaway but he was in too much pain to be able to do anything.

She threw Stefan on the floor and smirked at Klaus. "You've got him. Now free Damon," she snapped at the hybrid.

Klaus just grinned at her. "Katerina, how accommodating of you. But I believe our deal was for my family and not Stefan."

Katherine just groaned. "Your family is at the old farmhouse just outside the town," she said and then rattled off an address. "Now let him go."

Klaus just shook his head as he stabbed Damon again. "And I should just trust you? I don't think so. Frank, take Jimmy and check the farmhouse," he said to two of the six hybrids in the room. They promptly left without a word.

"I guess I'll just have to find a way to entertain myself while they check your story out," he said as he slowly pulled the stake out of Damon and shoved it into his guts again.

"Leave him alone," Katherine growled.

"I don't think so. And anyway, I remember requesting Elena's presence as well or I would kill them all. James, kill the teacher," he said to the hybrid standing behind Ric, whose eyes had widened in fear.

* * *

><p><em>A little earlier…<em>

Jeremy watched as Katherine stalked into the boarding house, snarling at the two hybrids guarding the front door. "So, are you actually going to trust Katherine?" he asked Elena, who was busy checking something on her forearm. They were sitting in the car, just behind the tree line so they couldn't be seen from the house. Elena had insisted Katherine go on foot and the vampire had surprisingly agreed, especially after Elena had explained they were useless in a frontal assault and would be better suited to run interference. Katherine had probably been too stunned to do anything other than agree.

"No," Elena said simply. "But I need a diversion and intel."

"What do you mean?"

Elena winked at him and showed him what she had been looking at on her forearm. It was a small screen showing… the inside of the boarding house? "I planted a few nanites with transmission capability on Katherine. Think of them as microscopic robotic cameras. I can pretty much direct them to see everything inside, and it's not exactly good. They're in the living room. There's six hybrids, with Klaus, who is currently torturing Damon," she said, using that dispassionate tone that was starting to worry Jeremy. "Ric is on the couch, Bonnie is on the floor in front of the fireplace, passed out by the looks of it and Damon is tied up in a chair right outside the window. Caroline is on the other side of the room."

"Can't you take them?" Jeremy asked.

Elena shook her head and sighed. "It's not that simple Jeremy. There are seven of them. I don't know their strength and I certainly can't be in seven places at the same time. No matter how strong I am, seven against one is still rough. Then there are four hostages that could get hurt in the crossfire. I can't just go in, guns blazing and hope for the best."

"Yeah, but Caroline and Damon are vampires. They can't get hurt," Jeremy pointed out.

"Yes, and they're tied up. While I'm fighting on one side, they could get staked. And let's not forget about Bonnie and Ric. Anyway, this is non-negotiable. We're doing it my way and we don't have all day, so come on," Elena said as she pressed a sequence of buttons on her forearm, dropping the camouflage.

"Aren't you trying to remain inconspicuous?"

"Not anymore. Now I want the element of surprise. If they're staring at me in shock, it will give me a few extra valuable seconds."

"So, what now?"

"Follow me," Elena said as she grabbed her bag from the boot. They snuck through the trees and Jeremy suddenly felt like an oaf compared to his sister, who was moving so silently and fluidly that not even a twig snapping could be heard. If he hadn't seen her in front of him, he would have sworn she wasn't there.

"I'm going to create an access point into the living room. I need you to get in and untie Damon while I distract them. Then, you two get everyone out. Katherine and I will deal with Klaus and his hybrids," she whispered to him. Jeremy just nodded, deciding that questioning her at this point was not the best of ideas.

He watched as she dropped down and began crawling over the ground towards the boarding house. Jeremy followed suit. Once they reached the wall, Elena pulled out a dark blue block, which she opened up and began molding as if it were playdough. She fixed it to the wall, forming a large rectangle right under the window.

Jeremy looked at her questioningly. _This is laser plastique. It will cut through the wall instantly. You'll have to kick through but it shouldn't require much force because walls under windows aren't reinforced,_ she explained telepathically.

_Okay. So, I just sneak in and free Damon, then we get everyone out, right? _He asked, watching as she attached a small metal object to one end of the plastique.

_Pretty much. Here's the trigger for the plastique. I'll give you the go ahead as soon as I'm ready. _

He nodded and watched her crawl away.

* * *

><p>Elena studied the two hybrids pulling guard duty at the front door, deciding whether to kill them outright or restrain them. They were both pretty big men, dressed in pretty expensive suits. They were definitely carrying, if the bulges under their jackets were any indication. Probably wooden bullets, though, considering Klaus was expecting the most dangerous thing he'd be going up against to be vampires.<p>

She opted for restraint because information was valuable. She could question one of them later regarding Klaus' whereabouts and plans and she'd use the other to make a statement.

So, she stood, opened the seam on her black camo suit almost to her navel, making sure to show as much cleavage as possible, and sauntered up to them. "Hello boys," she said with a sultry smile.

"Hi," one of them said with a wink. "And who might you be?" the idiot asked, looking her over appreciatively, his gaze fixed on her cleavage. Males were males, no matter what species they were and these two seemed stupider than most, especially since they hadn't yet noticed she was a walking armory.

"Someone who's looking for a good time," she said, licking her lips as she kept getting closer, keeping them distracted until she could get within hitting range.

"Well, you've come to the right place, baby," the other one said with a stupid grin. Until he noticed the guns strapped to her legs. Moron, she thought with a grimace as they started to fumble for their weapons.

Her hand shot out and she slammed one of them in the neck, making him double over in surprise and pain. The other one had managed to draw his gun so she grabbed his wrist, turning her body into him, pulling his arm over her shoulder. She got a better grip and brought it down hard over her shoulder. Not hard enough to break anything, since she didn't want him screaming, but hard enough to force him to drop the gun into her open hand. She slammed her elbow back, catching him in the stomach and kicked backwards, right in the balls. No matter how strong they were, a guy would go down from a hit to the balls. Sure enough, he fell to his knees in agony as soon as she let go of him.

The other one was starting to get up but she kicked him in the face, sending him sprawling to the floor, out cold. She took out three ties, securing the hands of the first idiot. She dragged the other one over to a tree, tying his hands and legs around it. He was deadweight and would be harder to make a statement with. The other one, though…

She stalked over to him and grabbed him by his hair, extending her claws.

"Now listen to me, boy," she snarled. "You're going in there with me if I have to drag you by your hair. You make any stupid moves and I'll cut your balls off and feed them to you, got it?" He whimpered and nodded.

"Come on, you piece of shit," she growled, pulling him to his feet. Using him as a shield, she pushed him forward, her claws digging into his back as her other hand dug into his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Damon swallowed hard, pulling harder at his restraints. "Leave him alone," he managed to spit out, along with a lot of blood.<p>

"Isn't that cute? The psycho vampire likes the human," Klaus said with a maniacal grin. "Kill him."

"Get your hands off him, I'm here," another voice growled. Elena walked into the room behind one of Klaus' men, who was whimpering, his hands tied together. Damon felt like groaning and would have if his vocal cords had still been working. What was it with her and putting herself in danger? And what was with that damn hybrid.

"What the bloody hell's going on?" Klaus growled, seeing Elena pushing one of his men into the room. Even Katherine was staring at her in surprise.

"It's so hard to get good help these days, isn't it?" Elena said mockingly. "Now, I suggest you let my friends go."

"Why would I do that?"

_Now, Jeremy! _"Because if you don't, I'll kill all of your men and then come after you," she said with a snarl.

Klaus started laughing and Damon simply gaped. Elena had officially lost it! What was she going to do? Bleed all over them? And since when did Elena threaten to kill people? A strange sound to his left made him look down and his eyes widened, seeing a foot kicking a portion of the wall down just below the windows. What the hell was Jeremy doing there?

"What was that?" Klaus said as he began to turn towards where Jeremy was busting through the wall.

"I don't have time for this," Elena said with a growl, stabbing the hybrid through the back to distract Klaus' attention. The man's scream did that quite well and Klaus' stunned look at the three claws coming through his minion's chest finished the job.

Elena retracted her claws and the man fell to his knees and then his face in front of her, making everyone in the room gape at her. What the hell was she wearing? And where the hell did she get those weapons? Damon suddenly felt dizzy.

"Damon," Jeremy hissed. He looked at the human in shock, wondering what the hell was going on. "I'm going to get you loose and then we need to get everyone out of here."

"What about Elena?" Damon hissed at him.

"Just listen to me," Jeremy insisted working at his ropes. Damon nodded. Ha! Like he was going to leave Elena on her own. He had no idea what had happened to her but she was definitely suffering from delusions of grandeur if she thought a Halloween outfit and some fake guns meant she could handle six hybrids and Klaus. The fact that she had killed a hybrid hadn't exactly registered.

"Listen to me, you little bitch," Klaus growled. "You left me with a souvenir and you are going to fix it, now!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I don't know how you did it, but you actually managed to break my neck and leave me with a damn souvenir that isn't healing right," Klaus snarled at her .

"You're fucking delusional. I'm human, how could I break your neck?"

"Please Elena. One moment we were together and the next I'm waking up while my spine is still knitting together and I've got this on my chest," he spat at her as he lifted his shirt. She could see three stab wounds, the exact size of her claws on his chest and they were red and raw. Fuck, she breathed. It might not have killed him but irrilium certainly messed with his physiology. It had been more than twenty-four hours since she had stabbed him and judging by his wince, they were still painful. Good.

"Klaus, are you listening to yourself? How could I possibly do that? You would have snapped me like a twig."

"Don't lie to me!" he roared. "Do you think I'm an idiot? What about him?" he said, kicking his own man. Elena glanced quickly at Damon and saw Jeremy had almost freed the vampire. She needed to keep Klaus talking for a few more minutes.

"What about him? A few darts loaded with a wolfsbane and vervain mix are quite effective, you know," she said simply.

"I'm going to maim you, right after you fix whatever the bloody hell you did to me, bitch," he snarled at her.

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "And you think that's an effective way to convince me to help you?" While Klaus' gaze was murderously fixed on her face, she surreptitiously armed the grenade she had pulled from one of the loops on her suit.

"I'll torture everyone you care about and then kill them!"

"Haven't we talked about these crappy threats of yours?" she taunted him. By the looks of Klaus, she had finally managed to push him over the edge. He growled, his face shifting and began to stalk towards her. "Everyone, down!" she shouted and luckily, Damon, Jeremy and Katherine hit the deck as she threw the grenade into the air and dropped to the floor.

A loud bang and flash followed, as the energy wave expanded out of the grenade, knocking down everyone who had been standing up.

"Jeremy, Damon, go now!" she shouted. Damon stood, wobbling slightly after the torture Klaus had put him through, but he quickly pulled himself together. He didn't have time for this. In moments, he picked up Bonnie, threw her over his shoulder and was rushing outside the boarding house, with Ric on his tail. A minute later, Caroline was standing next to him, Jeremy thrown over her shoulder. The young human was struggling and shouting at Caroline, desperate to get back in and help Elena.

"Put me down Caroline! I can't leave Elena alone!"

"She won't be alone," Damon growled as he headed back into the house.

"Do you want to talk or take care of the hybrids?" he heard Elena ask as he walked back into the living room. "They won't be out for long and I'd rather even out the odds before they come around." Shockingly, Katherine simply nodded and rushed over to the first hybrid, ripping out his heart with a slurp.

Damon followed Katherine's lead and ripped out another hybrid's heart. "What are you doing here?" Elena growled.

"You think I'd leave you alone with your delusions of grandeur?" he enquired as he shoved his hand into another hybrid's chest.

"Damon, just get the hell out of here," she snapped at him.

He simply ignored her, moving on to the next hybrid. "I'm going to break every bone in your body, you little bitch," Klaus growled, clearly coming around.

"Really?" Elena asked, her eye narrowing as her body tensed. She extended her claws and Damon gaped at the image she presented. What the fuck was happening? Since when was Elena channeling Wolverine? "You know, I gave you that stab wound with these," she said conversationally.

Klaus apparently wasn't thinking because he rushed her, moving at full vampire speed. In seconds, he had his hand around her neck and was squeezing hard as he lifted her off the floor.

"Elena, no!" Damon cried out but before he could make a move, Elena used her claws to slice through Klaus' wrist, cutting his hand off. The hybrid fell to the floor, screaming in agony.

"Oh shut up," she snarled. "It'll grow back." She walked behind him and kicked him in the back of the knees, sending him to the floor in a heap. Grabbing his hair, she pulled him back as she slammed her claws through his back. "Now, I suggest you get the fuck out of here before I remove something that won't grow back," she growled into his ear. She started to turn her hand, the three claws beginning to carve a hole in and around his heart, driving the point home.

"You can't kill me!" he growled at her. "Nothing can kill me."

"Maybe," Elena replied with a small shrug, withdrawing her claws from his back with a snick. She extended the middle claw and held it to his neck, pressing against his skin hard, drawing a gasp from the hybrid. "But do you really want to test that theory? I could always cut your head off and it might not grow back. Do you want to live as a headless corpse or a bodiless head, whichever the case may be?" she asked nonchalantly, pressing the cold metal even harder against his skin, drawing a few rivulets of blood in the process.

"No," he grunted as he pressed against her, trying to avoid the blade at his neck.

"Good boy. Be happy. You have your family back. I suggest you stay far away from everyone I know or I might find it necessary to test that theory myself," she said, her voice rife with promise. She let go of him and watched with a detached look on her face as he stumbled to his feet. He turned to her, still clutching his wrist, which was bleeding profusely, and sent her a venomous look, promising retribution.

"Threatening me is the last mistake you'll ever make," he snarled.

"I don't threaten. I only make promises and I always keep my promises," she said coldly, without a single inflection of emotion present on her face or in her voice. Klaus' face shifted into his wolfen form but another look at the woman standing before him quelled his need for revenge. He was too weak to take her on in his current state and often, retreat was the better part of valor. He'd heal and then he'd come back for her. So, with a snarl and a few choice expletives thrown at her, he disappeared.

Damon stared at Elena in shock, trying to decide which side of the woman before him was more frightening. The one who had snapped, snarled and stabbed Klaus through the back, or the one who seemed to feel no emotion. One thing was certain. This couldn't really be Elena and he intended to find out who she was and what she had done to his Elena.


	12. Chapter 11

Twenty minutes later, after Elena, Katherine and Damon had swept the surrounding area to ensure no stragglers had been left behind and they had locked the remaining hybrid in the dungeon, everyone had gathered in the parlor. Elena leaned against the wall near the door, feeling like a zoo exhibit as all the people in the room studied her with varying degrees of curiosity and suspicion on their faces.

Elena sighed, dreading the conversation that was about to take place. She didn't think she could tap dance her way out of telling them the truth this time, but she sure would try her best. At that moment, Caroline stood from her perch on the armrest of the couch and walked over to her with a look of pure gratitude on her face.

"Thank you," Caroline whispered. "Is that really you Elena?" she asked in hesitation.

"Yes, it's really me," she said softly as she stared into her friend's eyes. Caroline let out a whimper and threw herself in Elena's arms.

"Thank you," she said again.

"Okay, can someone tell me what the hell just happened?" Ric asked.

"Good question," Damon said. "Right Elena?"

"Nothing much, happened, Ric. We gave Klaus what he wanted and he left," she said with a small shrug.

Damon snorted. She must really think him stupid. "Cut the crap! Who are you and what have you done with Elena?" he demanded. Now things were starting to make sense. This wasn't the real Elena. She might be her evil twin or something because he knew the real Elena would have never hurt him like this one had.

"Shut up Damon. What the hell is wrong with you?" Ric snarled at the vampire.

"This isn't Elena. She stabbed Klaus with something then threatened him and he ran. Since when is Klaus scared of Elena? Oh, and let's not forget the Halloween outfit she's wearing, the whatever it was that knocked everyone on their asses and that she managed to kill a few hybrids without batting an eyelash. Did I also mention that my parlor now has a new exit? So, yeah, I really want to know who and what you are!" Damon replied with a snarl.

"Yeah, I'd really like to know too," Katherine interjected.

Elena sighed and rubbed her temples. This was so not going the way she had hoped. "Look, who I am isn't really important. All you need to know is that I am Elena and that Klaus isn't much of a threat anymore, okay?"

"Oh no, you can't expect us to believe that," Damon snarled. "The real Elena does NOT have claws coming out of her hands, nor does she take Klaus on and actually fucking scare him off. So, who the hell are you?"

_I've got your back, sis,_ Jeremy said in her mind as he moved to stand beside her in a move that clearly showed where his allegiance was.

_They won't believe me._

_Does it matter? We both know the truth and soon enough, they will to. When we leave they'll know. _

_They won't believe I'm Elena. _

_Again, does it matter?_

_You're right. It doesn't._

She straightened her back and looked at each of the people present. Damon was staring at her angrily, hatred clear on his face. Katherine looked mildly curious, Caroline and Bonnie looked frightened while Ric glared at Damon.

"I am Elena. But not the Elena you once knew. My full name is Elenadvi Kytaxa D'Arkadia. I am an alien who was hidden here on Earth to keep the Galactic Empire from finding me and killing me. I am part of the rebel alliance fighting against a psychotic Emperor who has subjugated millions of worlds…" she trailed off when Damon started to laugh.

"Damn, that's a good story but you can't lie worth shit. Tell me what the hell you've done with Elena," he snarled as he stalked over to her.

"Stop it, Damon," Jeremy said. "She's telling the truth."

"Are you that stupid? She actually fooled you with that lame line? An alien? Really? Come on, you can't be that big of a dick," Damon snarled. He refused to believe this was really Elena. Aliens? What the hell was all this crap? And he couldn't believe she was the real Elena because that would mean she really did hate him. And he was hanging on to the only spark of hope he had.

"Damon, shut up and let her talk," Ric intervened. He was having a hard time believing Elena, but still, there was something about the girl that was different and he had sensed it. And for Jeremy to back her up? Well, then, something was definitely going on.

"Whether you want to believe it or not, I really am Elena. And I really am from outer-space."

"But if you're really Elena, then how could you be part of a rebel alliance or whatever you said? And how could you know all about this Empire?" Ric asked, stating the obvious. "And someone would have noticed your physiology was different to a human's, wouldn't they?"

"Yes, someone would have noticed if my genetic code hadn't been rewritten so that I was fully human," Damon snorted and was about to interrupt when she glared at him. "Shut it for five minutes Damon. You can rant and call me a liar later. Anyway, I'm not sure exactly what happened but as far as I can tell, I was regressed back to a baby by the Emperor and my memories were wiped. My people found me and I was hidden on Earth to keep me safe until my human body had matured enough to be able to handle the recoding," she explained. While she didn't know if that was the complete truth, it seemed a likely scenario.

"The crystal!" Bonnie suddenly exclaimed.

"Exactly," Elena nodded.

"What about the crystal?" Caroline and Ric asked. Damon just stared at them as if they were insane.

"Remember it glowed blue and then Elena went through all that… stuff?" Bonnie asked, a catch in her voice.

"Yes, the crystal is a Genseq, a genetic resequencer. It was programmed with my original Dirilian physiology and what you witnessed was part of my genetic sequence being rewritten."

"Elena, you bled out," Bonnie breathed.

"Human blood is not compatible with Dirilian physiology. It doesn't have the capacity to produce sufficient cells to sustain my body, so the nanites expelled it."

The blank looks on everyone's faces made her realize they were having a hard time believing her. "Fine. If I was a human could I do this?" she asked as her markings began to glow, her hair changed to blue and she extended her claws. "And if I was human, would I bleed like this?" she continued as she used a claw to slice her wrist, watching as liquid gold poured over her skin and fell to the floor in a puddle.

"Elena, no!" Caroline screamed. She didn't care what Elena was, she was still her friend. And she knew this was Elena. She could feel it in her bones.

"Or would I heal like this?" Elena continued, winking at Caroline as she showed them her wrist, which had fully healed.

"Okay, I'm convinced," Katherine said as she moved to stand next to Elena, almost as if declaring sides.

"Me too," everyone else said except Damon.

"Fine, you're an alien. But you aren't Elena!" he insisted mulishly.

"You know what? I really don't give a flying fuck what you think. I'm going to be off this rock in a couple of days and I'm leaving all this crap behind me. I thought I'd just be nice and tell you the truth before I split. But I really, really don't have the patience for this so believe what you will," she snarled at him. "I have shit to do, so good-bye and have a nice life," she threw at him, over her shoulder as she turned to leave. "Come on, Jer, let's get out of here."

"Damon, no!" Ric's shout was the only warning she got before she was slammed against the wall, face first by the pissed off vampire. He turned her around, slamming her against the wall so hard, the wood behind her cracked.

"Where the fuck is Elena?" he snarled at her, his fangs out ready to rip her throat out. Damon was beyond pissed. Not only was he angry that this alien had dared take the woman he loved away from him but she had made him believe Elena hated him. And as if that wasn't enough, to add insult to injury, the second he had touched her, his body had lit up like a Christmas tree. His body wanted her while his mind wanted to kill her. He was so fucked in the head it wasn't funny.

When she brought her knee up and slammed him in the nuts, though, the agonizing pain made him forget anything else. He let go of her and stumbled back and watched stunned as she pulled her fist back and punched him in the face hard enough to send him to the floor. "Don't ever do that again!" she snarled at him.

Elena stood and glared down at Damon. "Stay away from me Damon, or you'll end up hurt. Now, I have a ship to get flight-ready so I can get off this damned rock. I have bigger issues to deal with than a pathetic vampire who can't see farther than his own nose," she snapped at him.

She turned around and stalked out of the boarding house with Jeremy close on her heels. "I'm going with her," Katherine declared as she quickly followed the alien. Her sense of self-preservation told her that sticking like glue to the alien was the best place to be. After all, she'd never seen anyone make Klaus run away with his tail between his legs.

"What do you want Katherine?" Elena asked when she saw the vampire had followed them to the car.

"I can help you," she said with a small shrug.

"Kat, you don't do anything if it's not in your interest," Elena said with a small smile.

"That's not really true and you know it. Anyway, at the moment it's in my best interests to stick close to you."

Elena shrugged. "Have it your way. Get in the car."

*******************8888

"What?" Damon snapped at everyone, including Stefan who had finally decided to wake up. After they had filled him in, he was standing there looking at Damon with accusation in his eyes.

"You know as well as we do that it was Elena," Caroline said to him softly. "You saw the same thing we did."

"How do you know her body wasn't taken over by some alien?" Damon asked, even though deep down he knew that it was Elena. It was just hard to accept.

"Because even though she's different, the Elena we all know is still there, underneath it all," Ric said gently, fully aware of why Damon refused to believe the truth.

"Really? Since when does Elena swear? Since when is she capable of decking Klaus? And since when is she friends with Katherine?"

"Okay, let's say you're right. That Elena was taken over by an alien. Then why did she come to save us? Why did she threaten Klaus to stay away from us? After all, her only interest would be to get off this planet, right? And why does Jeremy believe her?" Ric said, stating everything that made it clear to him it really was Elena.

"I don't know," Damon whispered. "But I'm going to find out."


	13. Chapter 12

Later that evening, when Elena and Jeremy pulled up in front of the house, Stefan was waiting for her on the porch. Elena had managed to convince Katherine that the best thing she could do for all of them was to discover where Klaus was hiding out and get as much inside information as she could. It paid to be prepared and while Katherine might have not been too happy to cooperate at first, Elena had made her see the light. It might have involved a teensy weensy threat of hog-tying the vampire and sending her to Klaus as a gift, complete with a red bow, but it had been quite effective. While she did need information, she still didn't trust Katherine and that meant she wasn't going to be seeing her ship anytime soon.

"What do you want Stefan?" she asked.

"Can I talk to you for a bit? I know I've been a dick and I'm so sorry for everything I've done," he replied, the pain on his face indicating that he had switched his emotions back on.

"I'll leave you to it," Jeremy said as he walked into the house.

"Stefan, there's nothing to forgive. It wasn't you and I understand, really I do," she said softly.

"There's nothing I can do to atone for what I've done," he said, guilt lacing his tone. "I just wanted you to know that I love you and I always will."

"Stefan," she hesitated.

"I know you can't love me after what I've done to you," he said.

"So, you actually believe I'm me and not a pod person?" she asked with a soft chuckle.

Stefan laughed. "I know it's you Elena. I can feel it in my blood and in my heart. It's you."

"Thank you, Stefan."

"And I know you don't need me anymore. If what I heard is true, then you can protect yourself quite easily from Klaus."

"It's true and Klaus is no threat to me. Not anymore."

"Do you think you could ever love me again?" he asked with a small whisper. She looked at him sadly and wished she could. He deserved it but someone else owned her heart and always would.

"I'm sorry, Stefan," she said softly.

"It's okay," he replied, his eyes filling with pain. "I kind of expected it after everything."

Elena looked at him and couldn't let him blame himself for this. "Stefan, it's not you. I'm nearly four thousand years old, Stefan," she told him and his face fell in shock. "I've fought for most of my life and I have too many obligations to simply forget everything because I've been in hiding for twenty years."

"You're four thousand years old?" he asked.

"Yes."

"But that isn't it, is it? You're in love with someone else, aren't you? I guess you probably have a husband back home, right?"

Elena laughed softly. "Not quite like that. And no, I have no one at home waiting for me, other than some very close friends."

"It's Damon, isn't it?" Stefan said suddenly, his voice bitter.

"What do you mean?"

"You're in love with Damon."

"No, Stefan, I'm not. I can't afford to love anyone."

Stefan just shook his head, knowing she was lying. "You're either lying to me or yourself because I can see it," he said softly. Elena wondered when she had become such an open book to everyone around her.

"Stefan, even if I did love him, it doesn't matter. He thinks I'm some weird pod person who's taken over the real Elena and I also hurt him pretty badly yesterday. And I refuse to put any of you in danger. My life isn't easy and until the Emperor dies, my life is not my own. I cannot afford any weaknesses."

"Have you told Damon?"

"No, he doesn't know and I would prefer to keep it that way," she warned him. "It's better for everyone involved that he hates me."

"Are you sure, Elena? You know how much Katherine made him suffer. Are you willing to do that to him too?"

"Stefan, I'm going to be leaving in a few days, what then? I can't stay. And this war is mine and not yours. So, what should I do? Go to him and tell him I love him more than my own life and then abandon him?"

"Take him with you," Stefan repeated the words Jer had said to her the evening before.

"I can't Stefan. Believe me, I can't."

"You can't or you don't want to?"

"I can't and anyway, you're taking this all kind of well," she said looking at him curiously.

Stefan shrugged. "I realized that you and I aren't meant to be. And Damon is my brother and I want him to be happy for once. He's suffered enough."

"I'm not the one who can make him happy Stefan. My life is a mess. I'm constantly involved in one battle or another, running for my life when I'm not and trying to bring down an Empire that has kept the Galaxy in terror for ten thousand years. That's not the life I want for Damon."

"But what about what he wants? Do you remember how you hated every time Damon made a decision regarding your safety and didn't ask your opinion?" When she nodded, he continued. "Well, you're making a decision regarding Damon's future without asking him. That's even worse."

"But what if I didn't love him? Would it be any different?"

"Yes it would. Just knowing you loved him would make Damon happy. And he'd take you any way he could get you, even if that meant living in a world where you were constantly in danger. He stayed to protect you Elena because he loves you."

"Stefan, I don't need his protection and I refuse to put him in the kind of danger my world is. Klaus is nothing compared to what I deal with and I won't have Damon involved when he could stay here, happy and safe."

Stefan shrugged. "It's your decision Elena. But don't fool yourself into thinking Damon will ever be happy without you," he said softly as he turned and left.

"That's two of us that have told you the same thing," Jeremy said when she walked in.

She snorted. "Two stubborn idiots who have no idea what I have to face every day," she stated.

"Make that three," she heard Ric chime in.

"Et tu Brute?" she asked with a small laugh.

"Elena, I thought Damon was all wrong for you because you were too young but after what Jeremy's told me, I really think you made the wrong call on this one. I know you're older than us and I know you live a harsh life, but isn't this what you're really fighting for? Aren't you fighting for people to have the right to make their own decisions?"

Elena felt her anger grow. "What do you think? Don't you think I'd love to be able to take my one chance at happiness? Do you think I want to leave him behind? To leave my hearts and soul behind on this dump of a planet and go save trillions of others while I'm in agony because I left the only man I have ever loved behind!" she snapped, her voice increasing in volume.

"Well, let me tell you something. My father, the Emperor, gave me a gift on my seventh birthday. It was a _frindian_ youngling, something like a puppy. I loved that _frindian_ and I thought my father was the best person in the world. I never understood my mother's fear of him. Until I turned eight. I was taken to see my father and told to bring Max with me. I was so happy! But when I entered the room, I saw they had my best friend strung up in chains. She was naked and she was being beaten with laser whips. Her body was covered in cuts and gashes and she was screaming as the blood poured down her body. My father made me watch as they beat and raped her over and over again while she pleaded for mercy. Three hours later, she was begging to die and she was fucking eight!" she screamed at their horrified faces.

"The following week, I was summoned again and there, another of my friends stood, in the same position and so it went for the next year until I had no friends left. All I had was Max. But that didn't last. On my ninth birthday, I had to choose, kill Max and eat his heart or let them rape and kill my mother. So, I killed Max. He looked up at me and he told me he understood and he loved me. He knew I had to do it and he told me that he would see me again someday and that it wasn't my fault. So I killed him, Ric. I killed him and ate his heart. But the bastard still killed my mother. And until my eighteenth birthday, anyone I even shared a kind hello with would be strung up and tortured until I learned the lesson my father wanted me to learn. I was to never get attached to anything or anyone!"

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Elena," Ric whispered, horrified at the stories she told.

"Don't you pity me! Pity the poor fools who dared speak to me because they were the ones who died. But that's not the end of the story. Once I turned eighteen and my body's regenerative powers kicked in allowing me to heal quickly without scarring, it was time to learn my next lesson. Pain. I would be taken and tortured, my skin cut off my body, flesh-eaters placed on my open wounds while I was pumped with drugs that would maximize the pain and make sure I couldn't pass out. I was tied up and couldn't move while the flesh-eaters ate me almost to the bone. It would take days. Days of sheer agony. Then, I'd be cut down, thrown into a cell until my body healed, which would only take hours and it would start all over again. And those were the nice parts."

Elena's voice had become cold and distant as she dispassionately related her story. "It went on for years, the same cycle over and over again until I stopped screaming. Until I could shut off the pain at will. My next lesson was meant to harden my heart. They stopped feeding me. I hadn't had any sustenance in weeks and even though it wouldn't kill me, it made me weak. I didn't have the strength to stop the pain without feeding. One day, they threw me into a different cell where a bowl of food waited for me. The only problem was, if I removed the bowl, it would trigger a mechanism that would open the gates in the cell next to me and allow a Zarinthian lizard in. Zarinthian lizards feed by spraying their pray with acid, which digests the creature slowly while they suck up the remains. A five year old girl was in the cell next to me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't. But the torture continued until I became a monster and could only listen to my own instincts. And three weeks later they threw me in the cell and I grabbed the bowl and ate while I watched the girl being eaten, her screams filling my ears."

"It took another two years for my father to be satisfied that I had learned my lesson well. Two years of being fed once a week, and every week a child would die in agony. And I no longer cared. I had to survive and that was all that mattered to me," she continued coldly. Ric and Jeremy were close to throwing up at what they were hearing. No one could go through that and come out intact.

"When I was thirty, they upped the torture. My father didn't want a weakling for a daughter so he decided he needed to teach me to torture others as well as he did. He took over my training personally and used a laser knife to slice pieces off me, while they dripped Zarinthian acid on me. I had to watch as my flesh and bone liquefied. I can't even begin to describe the agony. But again, I couldn't pass out. He made damn sure of that. After a month of no sleep, no food and constant torture, I was given a choice. Kill and torture and receive a three-day reprieve or face the acid again. They brought in a fifteen year old girl. Do you know what I did?" she snarled at them. They shook their heads.

"I did the same thing to her that had been done to me. I didn't even hesitate. And so, I began to enjoy hurting others because it was the only time I was free of pain. I became like him and he was so proud of me," she said with a bitter laugh. "He named me Admiral of the Imperial Fleet and I became the most feared being in the Galaxy. The evil, psychotic princess who was worse than her father."

Ric swallowed hard. He didn't know what to say. He found it hard to believe that anyone could do that to their own child but one look at Elena told him she spoke the truth. No one could make up such horror stories.

"How did you get away?" Jeremy asked, his voice hoarse. He had been living Elena's memories along with her and his face was covered in tears. He couldn't blame her for what she had done. How could he when he had only felt a microscopic amount of what she had been through and he knew he wouldn't have lasted as long as she had? Not by far.

"I didn't get away Jer. I ruled the Galaxy alongside him for half a millennium. I was worse than he was. I had no compassion, no mercy for anyone. I am a product of my father and he taught me well. Too well. I became everything he wanted me to be but it turns out he failed in one thing. He couldn't break my spirit completely. I stood beside him but I managed to stop him killing children. I used logic, for fear I would give myself away, and I told him it was better to brainwash them to join the Imperial armies than waste them. He agreed. You might think it was harsh but it was better than death or torture. And as imperial recruits, they at least had full bellies and were treated respectfully."

"One day, we learned of a small group of rebels who were banding together to try and assassinate the Emperor. I was sent to squash them. Unfortunately, my illustrious father underestimated their need for revenge and so I was sent in with a force that was much too small. They decimated us but when they realized who I was, they decided I would make for some good leverage. Sadly, they didn't know my father. So, when they tried to trade me for their freedom, he sent in three legions to decimate every living thing on the planet they were holed up on. I tried to tell them but they wouldn't listen, of course. Everyone died, except for me. I was a damn Dirilian and my father knew I would come out unscathed. But that short time I spent with them showed me things could be different. I returned to my father, but I began to work against him from the inside. I had hope. Seeing those poor people ready to fight, even though I held more power in my pinky than their entire army, changed me. It showed me that if they could do it, then so could I."

"Then, a few years later, I heard a legend of a Dirilian ancient who was supposedly the most powerful of our kind. I began to research him and discovered that he was not a legend but quite real. I became obsessed with finding him because I was convinced he was the only one who could help me. And I was right. Eventually I found Ramsjehin Valdran and the rest is history. We've been fighting together for more than two and a half millennia and he still tries to show me that I'm not the monster my father is, though I still have my doubts," she said softly as she looked up at them.

"Understand this, if anyone hurts Damon, I will become worse than my father and I will destroy everyone who lays a hand on him, as well as their families and their entire systems in retribution. Do you understand now why I can't afford to take Damon with me?" she asked them.

"No because I know you, Lenny, and I know you would never be like him," Jeremy whispered softly. She smiled at him.

"I wish you were right Jer, but there's too much of my father in me for me to take that chance. I was so close before. So very close."

"I can't even imagine what you lived through and I suspect you've only scratched the surface of what happened to you, but there is one thing I am certain of. If you lived through that and still did the right thing, I have no doubt you will never be like your father," Ric said. "And on that note, I'm going to get us a drink, because I think we all could really use one," he continued as he stood.

"I think that's the best idea I've heard all day," Elena said with a small smile, trying to lock her memories away, to push back the pain and agony.

Ric walked into the kitchen and rounded the island to grab three glasses and the bottle of bourbon from the cupboard.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The figure that huddled behind the island was shaking. Ice blue eyes stared up at him from a pale face.

"Every last word," came the hoarse reply.

"Then I suggest you quit being an ass. I don't know by what miracle the universe delivered her to you but you'd be a damned fool to let her go, Damon," he said softly. "She needs you, even if she doesn't believe it."

"I need her," Damon choked out.

"Don't fuck this up, Damon," Ric felt the need to reinforce the concept. "You've been given something most of us only dream of. Don't fuck it up or by God, I'll take her myself," Ric growled.

"You even think of touching her and you will fucking die," Damon snarled. "She's mine and I'm never going to give her up!"

Ric grinned. "I'm glad to see you've woken up. Now get out of here before she figures out you listened in. I don't want to see what she's like when she's pissed." Damon nodded and disappeared, the back door closing quietly behind him.

Ric picked up the bottle and glasses and made his way back to the living room, where he found Elena curled up against Jeremy.

"By the way," Elena said, when Ric sat down. "I suspect Jeremy really is my brother."

Ric stared in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Well, Dirilians that are related by blood can communicate telepathically with each other and sense each other's emotions. Last night, we figured out we could read each other's minds and feel each other's emotions."

"Okay, that's pretty cool," Ric said with a grin. "So, tell me what else you can do."

"She's a battle-class Dirilian," Jeremy said proudly.

"Huh?"

"Yup, she was born to be a fighter. And she can do a million and one cool things, including pilot a spaceship, kick serious ass and she has all these cool weapons," Jeremy said with a grin as he pulled Elena closer.

"So you guys have classes? Like the middle-class here?" Ric asked curiously as he took a gulp of his drink. It all sounded so amazing but hey, in for a penny in for a pound, right?

"No, with us it's genetic," Elena said and began to explain the class system as she had to Jeremy.

"That is fricking amazing. No wonder your society functions so well. So, are all aliens so long-lived or is it just you lot?"

"It's just Dirilians, really. Other species have varied lifespans. For example, the Wolfrans, which are ancestors to the werewolves on Earth, can live a few hundred years. The only other species that has comparable life spans are the Belathorians and we believe they are actually an offshoot of Dirilians."

"What are Belathorians?"

"They're much like the vampires of Earth, which is why I suspect they might have a hand in the creation of vampires," she said slowly as she thought about it. It was logical. Malik had said Klaus was a Belathorian - Wolfran hybrid.

"So, you're saying that vampires and werewolves are basically alien human hybrids and not supernatural?"

"Yeah, I believe so. It makes a lot more sense than this supernatural crap you all believe in," Elena said with a small snort.

"Fine, what about witches?" Ric said, sure he had caught her.

But then Jeremy began to explain what Elena had told him earlier about molecular shaping and he just stared, mouth agape. "Okay, enough with the history lessons. I still have work to do on the ship but the databanks are intact and you can read all about it tomorrow," Elena said.

"Ship? What ship?" Ric asked in surprise.

"The transport that's been hiding under the Lockwood property for the past two decades and the one I'm going to be flying out of here on in the next few days," Elena said.

"There's a spaceship under the Lockwood property?" Ric choked out.

"Yeah and it's fucking cool!" Jeremy exclaimed.

"Can we go see it now? Please?"

"Let's leave it for tomorrow," Elena said though she had a feeling she was going to lose this argument.

"You can't possibly tell me you have a ship to show me and expect me to sleep through the night. Either we go now or I wake you up at four in the morning," he threatened with a grin.

"We've been drinking," Elena pointed out, trying to buy some time, though it might be a good idea for her to check up on the ship and maybe find out a little more of the imperial scout that had followed her. Plus, there was that message from Ramsjehin she still had to watch.

"You're a three thousand year old alien. I'm sure you can deal with a cop if we get pulled over," Jeremy added his two cents to the conversation.

"Traitor," she huffed at him, poking her tongue out. When Jeremy responded in kind she laughed. It felt good to let go. She hadn't realized how worried she'd been that Jeremy would hate her when he learned the truth and seeing him so accepting of her made her hearts pulse warmly. "Fine, you win. But I'm finishing my drink first."

* * *

><p>Damon walked into the boarding house and headed straight for the bourbon. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten home because his mind had been busy trying to process everything he had heard. Ric had come up with the idea for him to hide in the house while he pumped Elena and Jeremy for information and Damon had gone along with it out of curiosity.<p>

He had found it hard to believe that the person Jeremy spoke of was really Elena but he could hear in the boy's voice that he didn't have a doubt. And he had to grudgingly admit that Jeremy's story made sense in a weird sort of way. He had almost gasped aloud, though, when he had heard that Elena was three thousand years old. Suddenly, he felt a pathetic fool. How could she possibly care for him? She probably had someone back home. Or, at the very least, he was probably an annoyance to her and nothing more.

But then she had come in and started speaking and his emotions had gone on a rollercoaster ride. He had been ecstatic to learn she cared so deeply for him but he was terrified that she wanted to abandon him. And then the story of her childhood had begun and he had listened in agony. He had felt tears run down his cheeks at what she had endured and he had crumpled to the floor when she had called herself a monster. It had taken every last ounce of strength and the knowledge that she might hate him if she knew he had been listening in secretly not to run to her, pick her up, hold her close and tell her he loved her more than life itself and he would never leave her.

When she had finished her story, he had sworn that he would find her father and destroy him for what he had done to her, if it was the last thing he ever did. When Ric had come in and told him that he had been handed a miracle, he had realized the man was right. She was a miracle. His miracle and he would fight for her and against her if that's what was needed to keep her. They needed each other. _We are meant to be together. Together, we are strong, apart we are weak. _His inner vampire apparently agreed with his assessment. _Of course I agree, jackass. She is our mate._

Damon's eyes widened a bit but he wasn't too surprised that he was having a conversation with himself. Especially not after the day he had had.

"She loves you, you know," the soft voice of his brother intruded on his thoughts. He looked at Stefan guiltily. "It's not your fault Damon. Just don't be an ass. This is the real Elena. All of her."

"I know, Stefan."

"You'll have to fight her. She's strong and she thinks she's protecting you. She won't give in easily but she's worth it," Stefan continued. "I'll be heading out soon but you have to promise me you won't leave her alone."

Damon's eyes narrowed suspiciously, old habits dying hard. "She loves you Stefan, so why are you leaving?"

"Damon, she cares for me but it's you she truly loves. I'm not strong enough for her and I never will be. Deep down, she's always known it but now she sees it. The only problem is that she's been on her own for so long, she doesn't know how to let someone in," his brother said wistfully. "I wish I was in your place. But I'm not. This time, you won Damon."

"Stefan, it's not a matter of winning or losing," Damon said softly.

Stefan laughed bitterly. "You know what she said to me? She said that none of what I had done mattered. That it hadn't affected her feelings for me. It's always been you Damon, but she wasn't whole before and she didn't understand it. Now, she knows and if I had someone love me as much as she loves you for even a moment in time, I would die happily," he said softly.

Damon's eyes widened at Stefan's admission. Suddenly the future looked bright. Yes, it was going to be hard, especially since he had a feeling Elena was going to be stubborn as hell about it all but it didn't matter. He would do anything for her and for once, he felt strong and powerful. She hadn't chosen him on the rebound. She really wanted him, Stefan or no Stefan.

He thanked his lucky stars for all the agony he had been through. He now realized that he would have gladly suffered a million times worse if Elena was his reward. "I'm sorry Stefan but I promise I'll never let her go."

"Take care of her Damon. She's strong but she still needs you. Don't ever forget that. And if you hurt her, I'll kick your ass," his brother snarled. But then he winked and the brothers grinned at each other, comfortable in each other's presence for the first time in more than a century and a half.


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey everyone. Happy New Year! Here's hoping the new year brings you all everything you dream of and much, much more ;)… And that includes those dreams you won't tell anyone about that you have in the dead of night that may or may not center around a blue-eyed, raven-haired vamp *waggles eyebrows* LOL…**

**So, first off, I want to thank everyone profusely for the lovely reviews. Angela, love you as always and I adore reading your reviews. I'd like everyone to know how awesome Angela is because she's like my sounding board. Every time I get a harebrained idea, I bounce it off her and she tells me whether I've gone off the deep end or not LOL… I'm sure by now she's like "WTF, another one!" but she seems to still be hanging in there. Maybe she's just a glutton for punishment but I'm extremely grateful to her.**

**And I know there are two glaring errors that I have to go back and fix. One is where I let slip three thousand instead of four thousand in terms of Elena's age. That's because I had intended her to be three thousand at first but as the story developed I had to change the timeline and it seems I missed a spot LOL… But not to worry, all will be revealed, including why I had to change her age and who Katherine is in relation to her. I think you'll like it cuz it's kind of mental and confusing but I think it'll be cool.**

**Second is that I changed Elena's last name three times and the last change I made after I posted one of the chapters so I'll have go back and fix it. So, sorry everyone for the moronic errors but I promise I'll go back and fix them.**

**And I know everyone wants lots of Delena moments and interaction but this is how the story is unfolding in my head and as Angela knows I kind of go where the story takes me. In this case, my brain has decided that Elena needs to cement her relationship with the gang because she's more emotionally damaged than Damon (see psycho dad) while they have to get to know her again because she's basically a different person. And as someone else mentioned (Starzee, I lub your stories!), I think Damon needs to see that he is as he is because of himself and not because of Elena. He needs to learn to stand on his own two feet, emotionally, because Elena needs him to be strong and confident so he can do the right thing.**

**Oh, and someone mentioned why I said hiding out on earth for twenty years when Elena's actually eighteen. She is eighteen physically, in a way (regression and all that) but she's actually thousands of years old and I'm thinking that once you hit your first millennium, you sort of stop thinking in exact numbers, i.e. eighteen isn't even a piss in the ocean compared to 4,000 so I believe she'd round the numbers up in her head. I hope that makes sense.**

**One thing I would like everyone to tell me, if you all don't mind too much, is what you think of the fight scenes. I rewrote them a couple of times, trying to get more details in and to make it a little more believable. That's why I've got all the gadgets and weapons because I'm thinking Elena might be strong on her own but a soldier would use everything at their disposal rather than going in half-assed and relying solely on personal strength (kind of like Damon does LOL). And I've been trying to improve my writing on that side of things so I'd like to know what you all think, even if you think I suck at it and the scenes are boring as hell, let me have it .**

**Anyway, sorry for the long-assed note. I'll shut up now LOL… On with the show …**

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><p>"This is incredible," Ric shouted up at Elena, who was trying to reroute a cuplink from the antigravity drive to the navigation system so that she could actually plot a course through hyperspace. It wouldn't be fun for anyone if they came out of hyperspeed inside a planet or a sun, she thought with a snigger.<p>

"What is?" she asked good-naturedly. She was in a much better mood, after having spent the night with Ric and Jeremy on the ship. Their amazement and awe at everything around them had made her smile and, for one night, she had decided to simply enjoy the things around her and try to see everything through their eyes. So, she had managed to get the replicator working, had fed them a Dirilian feast and plied them with Dirilian brew. They had watched holovids of her home planet and some other documentaries of the different planets in the Galaxy.

Jer and Ric had been vibrating with excitement by the time they had finished and she had finally managed to convince them to get some sleep. The only reason she had succeeded was because she had agreed to let them spend the night on the ship. Of course, when Ric had heard she was going to be taking Jeremy with her when she left he had pretty much told her he was coming along as well, whether she liked it or not. She had shrugged and agreed without hesitation. Ric was a grown man and could make his own decisions so if he wanted to come, it was fine by her. She could use another pair of hands to help her fly this bucket of bolts out of there.

"I've been studying Dirilian anatomy and you have two hearts!" he shouted up.

"No shit, Sherlock," she shouted back down with a laugh.

"Yeah, but what's really surprising is that instead of being individual organs, like humans have, your hearts are almost like your skin, spread out through your body. Your scientists say they believe it was a self-defense mechanism to ensure your longevity. If your hearts weren't localized in one place, it made it harder to kill you. This is fascinating," Ric kept on talking. He held a holopad and was using his fingers to manipulate the data stream, complete with pictures, that was floating above the unit.

While Elena knew her hearts weren't localized in one section of her body, she hadn't known the reason behind it. She wasn't a scientist and it hadn't been of paramount importance to her but she had to admit it was interesting. At least her knowledgebase was likely to expand significantly with Ric on board, she thought with a chuckle.

She finished welding another wire and switched off the laser solder she had found inside the ship. "I think we've got it T7," she said to the droid next to her as he let go of the wires he had been holding to give her space to work.

He plugged in to the system and confirmed her assessment. "The navigation system is fully functional Admiral."

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped at the droid for the fifth time that day.

"What shall I call you, Admiral?" the droid enquired, finally realizing she was serious.

"Call me Kyt. Everyone else does."

"Yes, Kyt. But your companions refer to you differently. Shall I not address you as they do?" the droid enquired.

"Kyt will be fine. Where we're going, everyone knows me as Kyt," Elena explained to the droid.

"Very well, Kyt. I shall do as you bid," the droid said formally and Elena laughed. It was good to get part of her old life back. She jumped down from the hull, surprising Ric when she landed softly in front of him.

"Don't do that!" he exclaimed. "You'll give me a damn heart attack!"

"Don't worry, we've got a fully functional medbay on board so you won't die," she replied with a grin and a wink.

"Great! Awesome! I can have a heart attack and I won't die! I'd rather not have one at all," he declared, frowning at her, though he was secretly delighted with everything. Not only was he completely high on all the information he was uncovering about so many other civilizations but seeing how powerful Elena was made him giddy with excitement. Yes it might be stupid but knowing she could easily hold her own against what they had considered a threat before allowed him to relax and really enjoy all the discoveries he was making.

"Admiral," Malik's voice boomed in the cavern, "someone is approaching the cavern through the tunnels."

"Great," Elena grumbled. "Ric, don't you want to slip in to the cave and pretend you're there studying the carvings? I'm really not in the mood for anyone else right now."

Ric looked at her and then at the holopad in his hand, not too happy about abandoning the unit even for a moment but he couldn't very well march out holding it as he was pretty sure _someone _would notice he was holding a piece of alien technology. "Who is it?" he asked.

"My scans say it is a vampire," Malik promptly informed them. Elena frowned. It could be Damon but then again it could be Klaus or one of his minions.

"Is it Klaus?"

"Negative. Scans reveal pure vampire," Malik responded.

"Have I mentioned I love the A.I." Ric said with a grin.

"Thank you, Ric," Malik replied. "I find you quite interesting as well." Ric continued to grin like a moron.

"It's probably Damon and I'm not in the mood for another 'you're-a-pod-person' discussion. Won't you please get rid of him?" she begged Ric. He was sorely tempted to show Damon all this but at the same time he knew the time wasn't right. Not yet. Damon had to patch things up with Elena on his own and this definitely wasn't the setting for it. So, he nodded and opened the door to the cavern, as Elena had shown him.

It closed behind him and he began to fiddle with the flash light, pretending to be engrossed in the carvings on the cave wall.

"Ric?" he heard a voice call out.

"Caroline? What are you doing down here?" he asked in surprise when he saw the blonde vampire watching him from the shadows.

"Uhm, I came to find Elena. Bonnie did a locator spell for me," the vampire admitted. "I really want to talk to her. Could you ask her to come out, please? I can't get in there because of the spell."

"Sure, I'll be right back," Ric said as he quickly typed in the code to open the door.

"Elena, it's Caroline," he hollered.

"Well, bring her in then," Elena shouted back.

"I can't! Remember, anti-vampire spell!"

"Oh crap. Hang on. Malik, how can I get Caroline in here?"

"She can access the cavern via the tunnel that was built as an access ramp for the ship. I can open it now but she will have to retrace her steps and find the opening. It will be hard to miss though, since it's big enough for the Karillian to fly out of."

"Did you hear that Ric?" Elena shouted at the teacher.

"Yup, on it now!" Ric said as he walked back. "Come on, Caroline."

"Where are we going?" the vampire asked, unaware of the conversation that had taken place inside the cavern. Her hearing might be good, but apparently the spell not only blocked her entrance to the cave but also her vampiric abilities.

"I'm taking you to Elena. I hope you're ready for the shock of your life," he said with a grin.

Ten minutes later, they were walking through a huge tunnel with a gentle incline, towards a bright light. Once they reached the cavern, Ric jumped down to the floor but Caroline was frozen in place. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "Is that… Is that… Is…" she couldn't seem to say the words so Ric decided to help.

"Yes, Caroline. That's a spaceship." Caroline blinked and shook her head as she jumped down to join Ric.

"Where's Elena?" she asked softly. No matter what she saw in front of her, she felt the need to see her friend. To make sure they were still friends. Unlike the others, she had never doubted Elena for a second and she was actually happy her friend was a powerful alien. The fact that Elena had defended her in front of Bonnie when she had just come back from the dead had made Caroline love her all the more.

"Admiral D'Arkadia is attempting to repair the top, left gun turret," a booming voice sounded in the cavern, making Caroline jump.

"That's Malik, the ship's A.I.," Ric explained.

"Oh," Caroline whispered. "Pleased to meet you," she said a little louder.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Caroline," Malik practically purred making Ric laugh. Caroline blushed.

"He's really nice," she said softly to Ric.

"My lady honors me," Malik purred. "You are an exquisite creature and it would be an honor to get to know you better."

"Malik, stop hitting on the poor girl. You're a damn A.I.," Caroline heard Elena say. She looked up and saw her friend sitting down on her haunches as she peered down at her from the top of the ship. "Come join me Care?" Elena asked softly.

Caroline nodded and pushed off the ground hard, her muscles bunching. She lifted her hands as she flew through the air and grabbed hold of the edge of the ship, swinging herself up. In moments, she was standing, facing Elena, apprehension running through her veins.

"Do you hate me?" she asked softly.

Elena looked at her in surprise. "Why the hell would I hate you?"

"Because I was too late. I didn't stop Bonnie fast enough," she almost whimpered.

"Caroline," Elena groaned, grabbing her friend by the arm and pulling her into a tight embrace. "Of course I don't hate you. Hell, girl, I love you and I always will," she said softly as she smoothed her hair. "And it all turned out alright in the end."

"But what if you had really died? I could have stopped Bonnie sooner and Damon could have saved you," she sobbed into Elena's shoulder, her body shaking.

"Baby," Elena whispered. "I'm almost four thousand years old. It will take a lot more than Bonnie to kill me permanently. And I'm actually grateful because if I had ingested Damon's blood, the nanites would have taken longer and it would have hurt more, so please, don't worry."

Caroline sniffed and pulled back, looking into Elena's eyes. "Are you sure you don't hate me?"

"Are you stupid? Of course I don't hate you. I'm alive and well, and I know you took care of me when I was out of it. It's a lot more than anyone else would have done for me," she said with a soft smile as she looked at the young girl. She smoothed back her hair, hooking it behind her ear as she tried to comfort her best friend.

"So, you don't think I'm a monster?" Caroline asked, her voice catching on the last word.

Elena snorted. "You are a monster," she said and Caroline's face fell. "But you're the kind of monster I love, a shopping monster," she finished with a small wink and Caroline burst out laughing.

"Wait a second. Did you just say you're four thousand years old?" the vampire screeched.

"Yup," she said with a grin.

"And she's rich!" Jeremy shouted from below. "And I'm really her brother by blood!"

"What the hell?" Caroline exclaimed. "You're rich?" Elena had to laugh. Trust Caroline to focus on the least important thing but trust Jeremy to know exactly what to say to defuse the situation and make them all laugh.

"I've got so much money that even you couldn't spend it," Elena said with a laugh.

"Jeremy, I'm marrying you!" Caroline shouted out and Elena chuckled. "Unless, of course, same sex marriages are legal where you come from. I think we'd make a stunning couple," Caroline continued, batting her eyelashes.

"Actually, every kind of marriage is legal because there are so many species and I agree with you, I think we'd make an amazing couple," Elena said with a grin.

"Ooooh, do I get your credit card if I'm your wife?"

"Uhm, not really."

"Humph, then I don't want to marry you," Caroline said with a little huff.

"We don't have credit cards. But you will get an ident chip, along with the family name and that will give you access to all my funds."

"Okay, I have a wedding to plan," Caroline said with a grin. "Thank you," she finished seriously.

"What for?" Elena asked, puzzled.

"For still thinking of me as your friend," she replied.

"You're much more than that, Care. I love you, don't you know that?"

"I love you too, Lena, but with everything that happened and now that I know what you are… How can you possibly… Oh, I don't know, forget it. I love you," she said softly as she pulled her best friend into a tight hug.

"Yeah, yeah, we all love each other, now can you get your asses down here because I'm starving," they heard Jeremy call up.

"Men," they both said in unison as they rolled their eyes and giggled.

"I have a gun turret to repair," Elena shouted down. "I think you can manage to scrounge some grub for yourself, can't you?"

"Yeah, but eating alone is no fun," Jeremy whined.

"Then eat with Ric."

"Lenny, I wanna eat with hot girls not boring old teachers," he whined again.

"Don't make me regret agreeing to take you with me!" Elena shouted back with a small laugh.

"Fine, I'm going, I'm going," he grumbled.

"You're leaving?" Caroline asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, Care. I have to."

"You can't leave me behind," Caroline said, suddenly frightened she would be all alone.

"Caroline, I'm not going on a pleasure cruise. I can't take you with me. I've got Imperial agents on my ass half the time and the other half I'm in the middle of one damn battle or another, with fighters, cruisers and destroyers doing their best to shove a plasma bolt up my ass. Seriously, it isn't fun."

Caroline giggled at Elena's description. "I didn't think you were out there having fun. And I can handle it Elena," the vampire tried to assure her friend. "You can teach me to be like you. I can fight. Please don't leave me alone. You're the only real friend I have. You know what I am and you still love me. Please," she whispered softly.

"Caroline, I'm not sure you really understand what it's like. There isn't time for shopping or for parties or going out for coffee."

"I know Elena. I'm not that shallow. But I wouldn't be alone," Caroline said.

Elena felt her resolve break. She was turning into a damn sap. Pretty soon, she'd have a ship full of people when she left. Where was the hard-ass her father had molded. Apparently somewhere in her very distant past. "I'll think about it," she grumbled. Caroline squealed in delight and jumped on Elena so hard they both fell down and rolled over the hull of the ship, falling off to land with a thud on the floor. Caroline jumped up, horrified she had hurt Elena.

Elena, on the other hand, was laughing so hard tears were running down her face. "Are you okay?" Caroline asked.

"Perfect," Elena managed to gasp. "But I sure as hell didn't see that one coming." Caroline started to laugh as well and pretty soon they were both lying on the floor laughing their hearts out.

"Now that we're down here, we might as well make Jer happy and have lunch with him," Elena said, once she had managed to gain control of herself.

"Uhm, then that's my cue to leave. I need to get some blood anyway," Caroline said sadly.

"Don't be silly, I have a replicator on board. It can make anything and if the blood isn't good enough, you can drink mine," Elena said with a shrug.

"You'd let me bite you?" Caroline asked, stunned.

Elena cocked an eyebrow. "Of course, it's not as if you can kill me. And anyway, I think you might like my blood a bit better than the human stuff." Caroline just stared as her friend climbed to her feet and made her way into the ship. "Well? Are you coming?" Elena hollered and Caroline jumped to her feet, following her friend.

* * *

><p>"Okay, this is weird but so damned good, it isn't even funny," Caroline breathed as she took another gulp of the golden liquid in the glass.<p>

"Weird?" Jeremy asked.

"Well, I've gotten used to drinking the red stuff and Elena's blood is fricking gold! And not just the color. It's like being on speed! I swear, I don't know what your blood has in it Elena, but it's fucking amazing," the blonde vampire declared. She had drunk only a glass but she felt as if she had gone through about fifty pints of the human stuff.

"I swear, I'm never going human again," she declared. "If that's alright with you," she amended softly, worried she'd presume too much.

Elena laughed. "Of course, Care. If you feel better drinking my blood, it's not a problem," she said with a smile. "Just make sure to give me plenty of orange juice after and you can drink all you like."

"Elena, I swear, it's amazing," Caroline said, pretty much in awe, considering she felt like she could take on the world and win.

"Hey, they say once you've gone Dirilian, you never go back," she said with a grin. "Sure, they meant it in other ways, but I think this applies."

"What do you mean?"

"Sex between Dirilian mates is off the charts, apparently," Elena said with a small shrug.

"What do you mean, mates? Like husband and wife?" Ric asked curiously, even though it was a bit of an odd topic.

"Something like that. You see, Dirilians have only one mate in the whole Galaxy."

"You mean like soul mates? Like in all those cool romance novels?" Caroline asked.

"Uhm, not quite. It's a little more to do with biology and a little less to do with the supernatural. You see, basically, from a genetic viewpoint, we are programmed to reproduce with the best match for our particular genetic makeup. So, to ensure that the bond is successful and that we stay together to produce the best Dirilian progeny, Dirilians and their mates are perfect matches from every point of view, including personality. And to make sure we have as many kids as possible, as it is difficult for us to reproduce because we are such a long-lived species, the sex is out of this world amazing. And it only gets better with time," she said with a grin.

"Lucky bitch," Caroline grumbled.

"So, how can you tell you've found your mate?" Jeremy asked. "Just for research purposes, since I'm like you." He added.

"You really are like Elena?" Caroline asked him curiously.

"It turns out we are siblings by blood, after all," Jeremy said proudly.

"Are you sure you want to be related to me?" Elena couldn't help but ask. Caroline, who had been filled in by Ric and Jeremy on Elena's past, glared at her.

"Are you thick? Of course he wants to be related to you. Hell, I want to be related to you," she snapped.

"What she said," Jeremy agreed with a grin. Elena's hearts warmed at the acceptance she felt and it made her feel amazing that Jeremy was proud to be her brother.

"Thanks guys," she said, her voice cracking slightly. She cleared her throat to answer Jeremy's earlier question. "It's different for everyone but you just know when you've met your mate. You'll feel a sudden urge to protect them and you'll find yourself connected to them on an emotional level at first. Then, when you finalize the bond, you'll be able to communicate telepathically, like we can," she explained.

"So, have you met your mate?" Ric asked, almost certain he knew the answer.

"Maybe," she mumbled.

"Ha! You have, haven't you?" he exclaimed.

"Maybe," she said again. Caroline stared at the two men who were watching Elena knowingly and then, it suddenly hit her.

"It's Damon, isn't it?" she screeched, bouncing on the bench. Elena glared at her.

"Maybe," she mumbled again.

Ric and Jeremy grinned, while Caroline clapped happily. "I knew you two were perfect for each other!"

"You know she told him she basically hates his guts and she plans on leaving him here," Jeremy told Caroline, knowing he'd found another ally. He hoped she'd be able to get through to Elena better than anyone else. She was a girl, after all.

"You did what?" Caroline screeched.

"I will not endanger Damon and that's final!" she snapped at them all.

"You and I are going to have a very long talk about this," Caroline said warningly. "Just because you're four thousand years old doesn't mean you're all-knowing. And leaving Damon behind is clearly one of your stupider ideas," the young vampire said with a huff.

"By the stars, not another one," Elena moaned. "How many advocates does that damned vampire need?"

"As many as it takes to get you to see the truth," Ric said softly. "You'll take two full humans and a young vampire with you, but you won't take Damon, who has always been able to take care of himself and has been protecting the rest of us for the better part of a year. Please explain the logic."

"Shut up," Elena grumbled, knowing she really didn't have an explanation for that one. "I know," she said suddenly. "I'll leave the lot of you here and that'll make a lot more sense."

"Oh, no you don't," they all said in unison. Elena groaned and dropped her head to the table.

"What have I done?" she moaned as she banged her head against the table. "I'll never have a moment's peace again," she whined.

"What are friends for?" Caroline asked with a wicked grin. "We're here to show you the error of your ways."

"By the stars, I'm royally screwed, aren't I?" Elena asked and everyone around the table nodded with a grin. She groaned again.

"Admiral, you wished me to remind you of Master Ramsjehin's message. I believe now would be a good time for you to view it." Malik said. Elena thanked the powers that be for the interruption.

"Play the message, Malik," she said and everyone watched curiously as a hologram of an old man appeared on the table.

"Hello Elena," it said. "You are probably wondering what's going on."

"You always were one to state the obvious Ram," addressing the hologram with her favorite nickname for her mentor, even though he despised it, which obviously made her use it more often. Everyone around the table chuckled.

"Since there isn't much time, I'll be brief. When the Emperor took you, we feared the worst but we never gave up hope. It took a while but we found out that you were to be transported to the Emperor's private moon from the Prison Moon of Hekate. We were able to intercept the transport but when we found you, you had been genetically altered to a full human and had been regressed to an infant, your memories wiped."

"So, why didn't you just resequence me when you found me? What's with this charade of dumping me on Earth for almost two decades?" Elena grumbled.

"It was my decision to hide you on Earth and not to go through with immediate resequencing. My reasons are my own but believe me when I tell you that it was for the best. Someday, you will understand why I did what I did and why I chose this particular time to remind you of who you are," he said with a sigh and Elena could see the strain on his face. She wasn't sure she'd understand but she knew he always had his reasons and they were usually pretty good ones.

"We also found another child with you and couldn't, in good conscience leave him to the tender mercies of the Emperor. He was brought back and we had found a family to adopt him but when we took a closer look at his DNA, nine of the twenty alleles were a match to yours, indicating that you shared at least one parent. Since I know the story of your mother, it was safe to assume that you shared the same father. Again, it was my decision to send him with you, after we changed him to a full human. It is your decision what you do further. You can either leave him there without revealing the truth or you can bring him with you and we will be able to resequence his DNA since we have all the information on file. The choice is yours but I highly recommend you bring him along since we need to rebuild our people," he said softly.

"As you are likely aware by now, we hid a ship for you so you could make it back to us. However, I'm afraid that you might have to deal with other issues before you leave Earth. Much more is going on than you can imagine. When we boarded the transport and recovered you, we found some information that literally could change the tide of war in either direction. It seems that the presence of vampires and werewolves on Earth isn't quite as accidental as we believed. Remember how we used to discuss the similarities of the vampires with the inhabitants of Belathor and how the werewolves were almost carbon copies of the Wolfrans? Well, it appears the similarities aren't just coincidental. The Emperor transplanted a family of each of the races to Earth, after wiping their minds and replacing their memories with ones of his own creation," Ram continued to explain.

"At first, we could not understand the reason behind his decision until we discovered a secret file, hidden beneath layer upon layer of protection. The file contains data pertinent to a thousand year old experiment code-named Klaus."

"In his obsession to create the perfect soldier, your father decided to conduct some genetic experiments on various backwater planets and it seems Klaus was one of his more successful endeavors. Unfortunately, though, somehow your sister got involved and managed shut down the werewolf side of the mixed-breed, stopping him from creating more of his kind. It is why she was forced to disappear because your father learned of her treachery and sent assassins to deal with her."

"Lei, why didn't you tell me?" Elena whispered, a tear running down her cheek.

"We have a sister?" Jeremy asked in surprise.

"We did," Elena said softly. "She chose to move on. I'll tell you all about her soon," she whispered, nodding to the hologram that was still speaking.

"She didn't want you to know, child, because you were dealing with so much already. Anyway, it was then apparently discovered that the only way to restore the Klaus project to its full potential was by using the blood of the D'Arkadia line as a catalyst but because Leianhwe had been human when she used the resequencer on Klaus, he assumed that the blood had to be human. The problem is that he's wrong. It does have to be D'Arkadia blood but it doesn't matter what species it is because the underlying DNA matrix is the same. And yes, that means that your blood as a Dirilian and even that brat vampire's blood will work. Elena, you have to stop them somehow. Klaus has no knowledge of what he really is or why he feels the need to create an army of mixed-breeds but the Emperor is waiting and soon he will become unstoppable."

"Oh fucking wonderful," Elena grumbled. "An army of unstoppable hybrids is all we needed. As if life wasn't hellish enough without another squad of killers at his disposal. And Klaus is a Wolfran-Belathorian mix? Just great. It'll be like trying to kill vapor or mist. Not happening."

"Unfortunately, we have not yet discovered any weakness, if Klaus has one, meaning that you will have to incarcerate him somehow to take him out of the game until our spies discover how he can be put down. And the crap about the white ash stake is just that, crap. At least when it comes to Klaus. The one thing that does seem to weaken him, according to the file, is irrilium and since you are pretty well stocked in that department," he said with a wink, "I'm sure you'll be just fine. I have to go now but I hope to see you soon my darling child. I have missed you so much," he said, his voice breaking and tears shining in his eyes.

Elena sniffed, her hearts physically hurting with the need to feel his arms wrap around her. He had been more of a father to her than her own had ever been. "Oh and Elena, one last thing. Remember what we are fighting for. We are fighting for the beautiful things in life like love. So, allow yourself to feel it and enjoy it because it will make you that much more powerful. Good-bye my dear and I hope to see you soon," he said and the image switched off.

"Damn old man," she said with a huff and a small grin. "I knew you were up to something."

"See, even he agrees with us," Caroline piped in, clearly oblivious to the significance of everything else that had been said in the message.

"So, basically, you have to capture Klaus?" Ric asked, the terror on his face very clear to everyone sitting at the table.

"It appears so. Malik, does the Karillian have a holding cell?"

"Yes, Admiral. The Karillian used to be a prison transport therefore we are fully equipped to contain any species, no matter how strong."

"Good. It looks like we're going hunting, kids," Elena said with a menacing grin.


	15. Chapter 14

Damon heard a car engine coming up the drive and nearly wrenched the door off its hinges. He watched Jeremy and Caroline practically drag a very annoyed Elena out of the car while Ric strode up to him with a smile on his face.

"Damon," he said by way of greeting.

"Teach," Damon responded with a nod. "What's going on?"

"You'll see in a moment," Ric replied as he strode into the boarding house. Caroline had taken hold of Elena's hand and was pulling her along.

"Hi Damon," she said to him as she dragged Elena into the boarding house, who was glaring daggers at the back of the blonde's head. The whole situation was quite surreal and Elena's annoyance and reluctance really made him curious.

But he didn't really care how or why she was there. He was happy she was. He had been pacing a hole in the carpet for the past hour because he had been searching for her high and low and hadn't been able to find her. Even though logic told him she was fine since Klaus wasn't a threat anymore, old habits died hard and he couldn't help but worry. It would probably take a long while for him to get used to the idea that Elena could take care of herself.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" he asked again as he followed them into the living room, where Caroline was sitting in Elena's lap. He cocked an eyebrow at the curious picture they made, since Caroline seemed to be whispering something in Elena's ear. He tried listening in.

"We need his help. Stop being a stubborn bitch and I'll get off you. Yeah, I know you could throw me off you, but you don't want to hurt your best friend, do you?"

"That's blackmail," Elena hissed at her and Damon fought the urge to laugh.

"Yeah, I know," Caroline grinned at her.

"Fine, I promise I'll play nice," Elena grumbled.

"Come on, you know I'm right. He's stronger than the three of us and he'll be more useful to you. Think of the positives, the faster we get Klaus, the faster we can leave," Caroline continued. Elena glared up at the blond vampire and nodded, accepting the logic.

"So, anyone want to fill me in on what's going on?" Damon tried again.

"We've discovered some interesting information regarding Klaus," Ric began. "Apparently, he is a genetic experiment, designed to create an army of perfect soldiers."

"An experiment? How the hell can he be an experiment? He's over a thousand years old," Damon said in surprise. He didn't know of any government that had been around long enough to conduct that type of experiment.

"Yeah, about that. See, he's an Imperial experiment. It turns out that werewolves and vampires aren't supernatural creatures as we believed, but alien-human hybrids."

"Excuse me? You're telling me I'm part alien," Damon asked, his eyes widening.

"Yes Damon," Elena said softly. "You are part alien. You aren't some evil monster. Simply a cross between a Belathorian and a human." Damon gaped at her.

"No, that can't be. Vampires are supposed to be evil monsters. Our hearts don't beat, we have to drink blood to survive and we can't go out in the sun. There is no way we are anything other than evil," he said adamantly. "Think of our bloodlust."

Elena rolled her eyes. "First of all, I know for a fact you are a Belathorian hybrid because I suspected as much before Ram revealed anything. Secondly, you just think your heart doesn't beat. It does, but very softly and I can prove it to you once we get into a proper medbay. Thirdly, Belathorians are a predatory species, which is the reason for your bloodlust. However, they are trained from when they are children to control themselves. And you drink blood, just like Belathorians do. It is how they evolved because the planet they live on is not much more than a rock where little grows. They had to drink blood because if they fed on the few animals that lived there, soon they wouldn't have anything to eat. It was an evolutionary mechanism that would allow them to live in relative peace with the other inhabitants of their planet. Even your aversion to the sun and lack of issue with temperature swings is because of your home planet since it has massive temperature fluctuations and it is too far from any sun for there to be much light. If I remember right, Belathor gets maybe an hour of sun a month," Elena explained as Damon's mouth literally fell open.

Caroline had a similar reaction but Ric just grinned. He'd already researched Belathor and knew Elena spoke the truth. In fact, he could probably add to the conversation but he knew vampire genetics were not their highest priority at that moment.

"Shit! I'm a fricking alien?" Damon was stunned. He didn't know what to think. He had believed he was evil for so long that it was strange to discover he was simply a different species and it was a matter of genetics and evolution rather than good or evil.

Elena snorted, trying to hide her smile. Damon was such an open book as the emotions flitted across his face. She knew what he was thinking. He was finally realizing that being good or evil was a choice and he wasn't the creation of evil spirits or any other crap he had believed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but the supernatural is actually quite natural. However, since humans have a hard time understanding certain concepts, they've decided it must all be magic."

"Anyway, moving on from the history lesson," Ric intervened, trying to get them back on track. He'd feel much better once Klaus was contained and they would have plenty of time to talk later. "The long and short of it is that we aren't sure how to kill Klaus but Elena's standing orders are to capture him and return him to her home base so he can't be used to create more hybrid soldiers," Ric explained.

"You want to lock Klaus up in a cell? I don't actually think a cell will hold him," Damon pointed out. "Though if we dagger him, it should solve our problems," he continued pensively.

"I have a cell that can hold him but I like the dagger idea much better," Elena said. "At least that way I don't have to feed the idiot on the trip back."

"Do we have another dagger?" Caroline asked. "If I remember right, the only one we have is lodged in Rebekah, downstairs. And she isn't going to be happy if we wake her up."

"Damn it!" Elena exclaimed. "I don't give a crap if she's pissed at me. I can handle it but I'm not too happy with the idea of waking her up and setting her loose on the world while I fly off with her brother."

"I don't care how strong you are or how well you can handle her. She's still a threat and I refuse to wake her up, just to have her try to kill you," Damon proclaimed, his eyes chips of ice. "She might just get lucky and you might be overestimating your power and I'm not going to let her hurt you so the dagger is out of the question."

Elena's eyes narrowed at Damon. "Why, Damon, I didn't know you cared. What? I'm not an evil alien who took over Elena's body anymore?" she sneered at him.

Damon glared back at her. "No, I'm pretty much convinced your Elena. No one else could possibly have the same talent to land their ass in danger like you, so I'm pretty much convinced."

Elena snorted. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," she snarled. She was secretly pleased he believed her but would never admit it. Now, to get him to understand she could take care of herself and he didn't need to land his own ass in the middle of it. He could die, she couldn't.

Damon smirked at her. "My pleasure," he purred and winked. He couldn't help himself. He was discovering he really, really enjoyed this new Elena. She had always been able to stand up to him, but before he had always been able to smell a little fear whenever she went toe to toe with him. Now, all he could sense from her was irritation. There was something else, as well, but he wasn't quite certain what it was.

Elena tried to hide the small shudder that wracked her body. The man was lethal to her peace of mind. All he had to do was smirk at her and her body was ready to throw everyone out and jump him. Damn it all to hell! She wanted him desperately and her body wouldn't let her forget they were mates. Even if she had control over her emotions, her body had a different idea, intent on destroying any good intentions she had to keep him safe, which meant as far from her as possible.

"Okay, so first thing first. We have to find Klaus and then come up with a plan to get through his hybrids and capture him," Damon said, suddenly all business. As usual, Damon took control of the situation and Elena tried to hide a grin. She was so fucked! Even his take-charge attitude was turning her on. How was she supposed to ignore him when they'd be working together? She glared at Ric, Jeremy and Caroline who all just smiled smugly at her. They had played her and she had given in, like a moron! No, she was stronger than this. She could deal with this.

"I'm not exactly sure where he would have holed up. I doubt he's still at the farmhouse where Stefan hid the coffins. I'm sure he isn't quite that stupid but I did send Katherine out on a recon mission so I'll give her a call and see if she's come up with anything," Elena said.

"You sent Katherine out to look for Klaus and she agreed?" Damon asked in shock. If there was one thing he knew about Kat, it was that she always looked after her own ass and that rarely involved putting herself in danger.

"I can be quite persuasive, when I want to be," she said with a small smile.

"Yeah, she basically threatened to lop the bitch's head off if she didn't comply," Jeremy added with a chuckle. "She also told her if she tried running, she'd find her and stick her in the same cell with Klaus for the next twenty years."

"Okay," Damon drawled, "I can see how that would be effective." Elena grinned while she picked up her phone and dialed Kat's number.

"Any news on our little project?" she asked curtly, forgoing any form of greeting.

"_I'm not sure but I do know he's still in the area. The few hybrids I've come across are so blindly loyal to him that no form of persuasion has managed to loosen their tongues. But I'll keep trying." _Damon heard the woman answer. He was still surprised at how obedient Katherine was being and that she hadn't run off the second she was free.

"You do that. I need to know where he is as soon as possible," Elena stated and then cut the connection. "This is taking longer than I thought," she said with a sigh to the people in the room. "And it's time I can't afford."

"We could use Rebekah as bait," Damon suggested. "Call him up and tell him we have her. He'll want to get her back so we can just get him to come here."

"No, that's a stupid idea. I'd rather avoid anyone getting killed and he'll know something's going on. I'd really rather not give him a head's up that we're after him," she replied.

"Great! So how exactly do you intend to find him? It's not like we can check the phone book and find his address and it's highly unlikely Katherine will come through."

"I'll figure something out," Elena glared at Damon as he snorted at her.

"You know my plan is the best shot we've got so stop being ridiculous." Elena surged to her feet and stalked over to him.

"I'm not putting everyone in danger with your idiotic plan," she snarled at him.

"Hah! At least I have a plan, oh great one," he snarled back, his face inches from hers.

"If you'd give me a minute, I'll fucking come with a better plan that doesn't involve baiting the unstable hybrid," she hissed at him.

"Yeah, I'm sure. What are you going to do? Call up and offer him a booty-call," he growled at her. He was having a hard time tamping down his jealousy, especially now he knew she really was capable of sleeping with the fucking hybrid. The fact that every cell in his body was on fire with need for her wasn't helping him keep a cool head either.

"If I have to, yeah!" she snapped.

"Over my dead body," he hissed, his lips drawn back as his fangs descended.

"Don't tempt me," she said, her own lips drawn back in a menacing snarl. Fuck, she was amazing! He had to fist his hands by his sides not to grab hold of her and kiss her senseless.

"Now, now, children," they heard Ric say. "I believe we're supposed to be dealing with Klaus and not trying to kill each other." He was having a hard time trying to contain his laughter. The universe had definitely made a perfect pair in Elena and Damon. Now, if only Elena could just see it, they'd all be much happier.

"Tell that to the moron," Elena hissed.

"Ha! Tell that to the stubborn bitch," Damon replied in kind.

"Let's be logical," Ric said. "We have no way of finding him, so we have to bring him to us somehow. We know he won't come on his own because I don't think he wants to face you alone."

"How about we pretend Elena's gone missing and we think he's got her? We could always suggest a trade, Rebekah for Elena," Caroline piped in.

Elena looked at her and cocked an eyebrow. "You know, that might work. He's a big enough asshole not to admit he doesn't have me and he should be worried enough about my disappearance to send his minions out to search for me."

"It's a stupid plan," Damon groused. "He'll never believe someone just took you, considering you basically kicked his ass last time."

"I'm not hearing a smarter idea from you, so shut it," she snapped at him.

"Wonderful! So we go with Barbie's plan? It's already doomed to fail!"

"Stop being an asshole to Caroline!" Elena growled at him.

"I'm just stating the obvious."

"No, you're being a jackass and you know it. What's the problem? Pissed that her idea is better than yours and she upstaged the great Damon Salvatore?"

"Ha! Like that could ever happen! The idea sucks because Klaus isn't stupid enough to buy it," Damon pointed out.

"I could do a locator spell," a soft voice intruded. Elena and Damon turned towards the voice as one. When Bonnie took a step back at the look on their faces, Elena tried to school her features into a softer look. She didn't think she had been all that successful judging by the wary look on the witch's face but at least she was sure she didn't look murderous anymore. Damon just had this brilliant way of bringing the worst out in her, though she did enjoy their fights, but she'd never admit it out loud. The vampire already had an ego the size of a small planet.

"What the hell are you doing in my house, witch?" Damon spat at Bonnie, highly annoyed to find her in his home, especially since she hadn't even had the decency to knock. After the stunt she had pulled, she should be hiding from him in the farthest, deepest, darkest corner she could find and definitely not waltzing into his house uninvited. She was either stupid or had a death wish.

Elena rounded on him. "Don't talk to her like that!"

"After what she did? She should be happy I'm talking and not ripping her throat out!" he growled.

"She made a mistake! I'm sure she's sorry and realizes that life isn't quite as black and white as she believed," Elena snapped, looking at Bonnie who was nodding vigorously.

"I'm really sorry for what I did. It was stupid and I understand that now," she whispered, tears shining in her eyes.

"Elena, you could have died!" Damon hissed. "I don't give a crap how sorry she is!"

"But I didn't die!"

"And that's the only reason she's still walking and breathing," Damon snarled. Elena couldn't help the warm feeling that stole through her chest at the anger on his face. Damn it, she was such a sap. But she was still a woman and to see the man she loved get so angry that he had almost lost her made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. _Elena, stop it. You have to leave him behind, remember._ She tried to refocus her thoughts but she wasn't sure anymore if she had made the right decision. Crap, the three stooges had started getting to her.

"Damon, she's a kid for fuck's sakes! Don't tell me you never made any mistakes," she said, cocking an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest and daring him to deny the truth of her statement.

Unfortunately for Damon, the move pushed up her breasts and since his mind was already in the gutter, he found himself focusing on entirely the wrong thing, his mouth dry. His hands fisted by his sides convulsively as he tried to leash his lust. She'd probably beat the crap out of him if he tried to maul her in front of everyone else. But fuck, she was amazing!

Elena watched Damon curiously when no response was forthcoming. His eyes kept slipping below her chin and she looked down. Oh! She couldn't stop the grin that curled her lips. She was suddenly grateful she had pulled on a fitted button-down shirt earlier, leaving a few buttons open. The black fabric show-cased her golden skin to perfection, drawing attention to her cleavage, where Damon's brain was clearly focused at that very moment.

"So, you're alright with Bonnie, right Damon?" she asked, as she tightened her arms, knowing the action would push her breasts up even further, emphasizing her cleavage.

Damon swallowed hard, knowing she was expecting a response from him but he had no idea what the hell she'd just asked him. He decided to take the path with the least risk. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you want," he said. Everyone stared dumbfounded at Damon, except Elena who had a wicked smile on her face. She dropped her arms and Damon shook his head, trying to look anywhere except at her.

"So, Bonnie will do a locator spell and then we can surprise Klaus, which will give us the advantage," Elena said.

"I guess," Damon admitted grudgingly. "But how can Bonnie do the spell? We don't have Klaus' blood."

"Crap, you're right. Any ideas Bonnie?" Elena asked the witch. The latter simply shook her head, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible.

Suddenly, Elena and Damon turned to each other. "Rebekah!" they said in unison, grinning at each other.

"Will her blood work?" Elena asked Bonnie.

"It should. She and Klaus are related so it should be fine," the witch replied.

"Come on," Damon said as he grabbed Elena's hand. They both disappeared from the room, down the stairs. Everyone else got up to follow, curious to see the two of them together.

Damon unlocked the door to the cell and walked in, Elena on his heels. "Damn," Damon said. "I forgot to bring a vial for her blood. Let me go get it." Elena nodded but Ric popped around the door and threw a small shot glass at Damon, who deftly caught it. He grinned at the teacher.

"Thanks man. Okay, uhm, can you do the claw thingy," he said to Elena as he wiggled his fingers at her. "I'd rather not bite that," he pointed at the gray, dried body of the Original on the floor. "She looks kind of bleah."

"The claw thingy, really?" Elena extended a single claw, the middle one, of course, which she held up in the universal sign of the finger. Damon laughed. "Don't worry," Elena snorted. "I don't want your mouth on her either." Of course, she wouldn't tell him it was because she'd rip the Original's throat out if Damon so much as thought of touching her. She knew that if she saw him bite into the woman, no matter what the reason was, she'd lose it. Damn it, she had to get this jealousy under control!

Damon looked at her curiously but decided to keep any smart remarks to himself. He seemed to be making some progress and he didn't want to fuck it up by calling her out on her obvious jealousy. In any case, he knew exactly how she felt. He wanted to rip Klaus' dick off and feed it to him because Elena had touched him so intimately.

"Why the hell are you growling now?" Elena snapped. Shit! He hadn't realized he was growling. He had to stop thinking of her and Klaus together.

"Sorry, just worried this won't work," he tried to cover with a shrug. Elena clearly wasn't buying it but thankfully, she let it go.

Elena lowered herself to her haunches and picked up Rebekah's arm, Damon knelt beside her and held the glass under her wrist as Elena sliced through the skin. Blood began to drip slowly into the glass.

Ric watched the two of them work together and grinned. They really were perfect together as each one seemed to know what the other wanted without a word being said. Caroline's idea to bring Damon on board had been brilliant. He had to hand it to the devious little matchmaker. She knew what she was doing.

"Guys?" Jeremy suddenly said. "What about the hybrid we have locked up in the next cell?" he asked.

"Crap! I forgot all about him," Damon exclaimed. "But I don't think he'd know where to find Klaus now. He's been here and I'm sure Klaus isn't going to risk us finding him by staying in the same place, especially now that he's kind of worried you're going to cut his head off. By the way, that was awesome. I don't think Klaus has ever been threatened quite so creatively," he finished with a grin.

"Thanks but I wasn't kidding when I said I don't make threats," Elena said.

"Don't worry. I figured that out all by my little lonesome," he replied with a smirk. Truth be told, the fact that she was perfectly willing to cut Klaus' head off had made his stomach do strange somersaults even before he had learned how she felt about him and the full story of her past.

Elena laughed. "Coming back to the hybrid, he may not know where Klaus is now but he can give us other information. Like how many hybrids we'll be dealing with so we don't head in completely blind."

"Then maybe he and I should have a talk," Damon responded with a menacing grin.

Elena snorted. "You think I'm letting you in there with a hybrid? One bite and your ass is toast," she said.

"And who asked you for permission? I think I can handle myself with a newly turned hybrid," he snapped at her, irritated she didn't trust him.

"You have a habit of not thinking before you act, which is going to get your ass killed, even with a newly turned hybrid," she pointed out.

"I think I can manage and I'm not that impulsive," he growled at her.

"Really? Do you want me to give you examples?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes, I do!"

Ric watched them and tried hard to contain his laughter. "Children, you're at it again…" he pointed out. "Remember, we have a job to do."

"Fine, do whatever you want," Elena huffed at Damon, conceding that Ric was right. "But don't come crawling to me for help when you get bitten."

"Don't worry, I won't," he snapped at her. They both glared mutinously at each other until Ric cleared his throat and they got back to the issue at hand.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, they were all in the living room watching Elena and Damon go at it again. Bonnie had done the spell and apparently Klaus hadn't left the farmhouse. Now, Elena and Damon were arguing over the best attack strategy.<p>

"You are not going within a mile of Klaus!" Elena hollered at Damon. "He'll bite your ass again and I'm no mood to watch you shrivel up and die!"

"Even if he bites me, you can get his blood once he's contained and I'll be fine so I'm fucking going in with you!" he shouted back.

"No, you bloody aren't! I will not have you put yourself in danger needlessly!"

"Hah! So you can go and risk your life but I can't? Forget it! You aren't going in alone! Someone has to have your back!"

"Don't you get it, stupid? He can't kill me!"

"Well, with you around, he can't kill me either!"

"Don't be a stubborn ass! You can handle his hybrids outside and I'll deal with Klaus on my own!"

"You are not going in there with him alone and that's final!" Damon knew he wasn't being reasonable but he couldn't deal with the thought of Elena and Klaus alone together. She was his and he wasn't about to let her come within a mile of Klaus again. He'd rather be bitten again than wonder what they had done while he wasn't there.

"Yes, I damn well am!" she shouted back at him. At that moment, someone started banging loudly on the door. Damon ignored it, intent on winning the argument. "Aren't you going to get that?" she snarled at him. Damon glowered and stalked off to open the door.

"Where is she? What have you done to her? I can smell her blood!" Elena heard a very familiar voice roar.

"What the hell are you talking about and who the fuck are you?" Damon growled. Elena closed her eyes in defeat. He had a death wish. He really did. As she had expected, moments later a behemoth of a man marched into the living room, holding Damon up off the floor by his throat.

The man stood just under seven feet tall. He had bright red hair that was pulled back at the nape of his neck and she knew it reached the top of his ass. He had always loved his hair. His green eyes flashed menacingly and the jagged scar that ran from his temple to the corner of his mouth made the snarl on his face look even more frightening. Elena grinned. It was good to see him.

"Jin," she said softly. "Put the nice vampire down. I'm right here and I'm alright." She saw Jin's face change instantly, softening at the sound of her voice. He dropped Damon, who managed to somehow land on his feet as he rubbed his neck, where Jin's grip had left bright spots on his skin.

The behemoth turned to look at her and brought his right fist to his shoulder in a salute reminiscent of the Romans. "Admiral D'Arkadia, it is an honor," he said formally, his head bowed.

Everyone in the room stared at the sight of this mountain of a man saluting Elena, his respect for his commanding officer clear in his actions. It was hard to reconcile the Elena they knew with the woman who stood before them. They had heard some stories but hadn't actually been prepared to face part of her world. It was one thing to hear about it and something completely different to see it.

"Is that how you greet me, Jin, after almost two decades?" they heard her ask softly. The man looked up and they could all see tears shining in his eyes.

"When you didn't contact us on the specified date, we feared the worst," he said. "We discovered the Emperor learned of your location and sent out a cruiser and I was terrified I wouldn't get to you in time."

"I know he's on to me. A scout's already here but I haven't seen him. The cruiser hasn't arrived yet, fortunately and I didn't make contact for the simple reason that the damn ship was malfunctioning," she explained. "And, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine and healthy and back to my old self," she finished with a grin as she extended her claws. "Now, come here and show me how much you missed me."

Jin stood and grinned. "By the stars, Kyt, it's so good to see you," he breathed as he picked her up in a bear hug. Elena threw her head back and laughed at the show of affection. Jin was rarely so forward with his emotions and for him to hug her was clear proof of how much he had missed her.

"It's good to see you too, old friend," she murmured as she hugged him back.

Damon couldn't help the growl of jealousy that bubbled out of his chest. Who the fuck was this moron and why was he touching Elena like that? And who was this Kyt person? And why were his hands all over _his_ woman?

"You can put me down now Jin. I'm not going anywhere," Elena said with a small laugh. She had heard Damon's growl and the last thing she needed was for the vampire to go after Jin. He put her down, looking at her sheepishly.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "It's just that I can't believe you're really back. The boys are going to be ecstatic when they find out," he continued with a grin, referring to the flight crew of the Omicron.

"Okay but before we go, we have a small issue to deal with," she said. "Everyone, this is Captain Jintlix Gethan, an old friend and my second-in-command on the Omicron," she explained to the stunned faces in front of her.

"What's the Omicron?" Jeremy asked curiously.

"Jin, this is Jeremy, my brother," she said as she made the introductions.

"It is an honor, Jeremy," Jin said formally, inclining his head.

"And to answer your question, the Omicron used to be the Imperial flagship. She's a destroyer-class ship – a dreadnought - and now, the flagship of the rebel alliance," Elena said proudly. "Jin, this is Caroline, Ric, Bonnie and Damon," she finished the introductions.

"I sense some Belathorian in these two," he said, gesturing to Caroline and Damon.

"How much do you know about my situation?" Elena asked him.

"Not much," he admitted. "In fact, most of us thought you were dead until a few months ago, when Ram gave us the news."

"What?" Elena asked, eyes widening.

"Ram decided to keep the secret to make sure no one would come after you while you were vulnerable. I would have made the same call, Kyt," he said and she nodded. He was right, of course.

"Okay, then sit down because the story is rather complicated," she said as she began to explain the situation to him.

Half an hour later, his mouth agape, Jin shook his head. "He's more insane than we realized," he said, referring to the Emperor. "We have to make sure this hybrid is unable to create more of his kind. Things are hard enough as it is."

"Tell me, how have things been going?" Elena asked, wondering if the alliance had managed to gain any ground.

"Honestly, we're having our asses handed to us. Ever since news of your death spread seventeen years ago, people lost hope and we've been beaten back to Ohoina. It's the only system still standing against him. The only one we've managed to keep," Jin admitted angrily.

"By the stars!" Elena exclaimed unhappily. To think that so much had been lost was painful. "We have to get our hands on Klaus and get back as soon as possible."

"I agree. And don't forget a cruiser will be showing up some time soon as well and I'd much rather we be off this rock before it drops out of hyperspace," Jin said and Elena nodded. "Unfortunately, I had a bit of a rough landing since I came in a fighter to avoid detection, so I really hope you fixed that ship or we're going to be in deep shit."

Elena snorted. "Of course I fixed the damned ship."

Jin got to his feet. "Then let's go get the hybrid," he said.

"Hold on!" Damon exclaimed. He had managed to keep his mouth shut while they talked but it had been hard. Now this idiot wanted to go off with his woman? No fucking way! "What about us?"

"What about you?" Jin asked, not sure what the vampire wanted.

"We're coming to help out!" Caroline said.

Jin laughed, which of course irritated Damon beyond belief. "You can come but to watch. We don't need your help," Jin replied with a grin. Elena rolled her eyes. Tactful had never been a word she would have used to describe Jin and he had just proven her right, again.

"Who the hell do you think you are to tell me what I can or cannot do?" Damon snarled through clenched teeth, getting in the alien's face.

"Someone who could squash you with a thought, boy," Jin snarled back.

"Just try it, asshole. I'll rip your throat out before you can even blink," Damon threatened, his features contorting until his fangs were bared.

Okay, this was getting out of hand. "Both of you, stop!" she ordered, injecting her voice with the air of command she used to run a star destroyer with a crew of two thousand like a well-oiled machine. Jin automatically stood to attention, while Damon simply stared in shock, his vampiric features receding. "Jin, Damon and I will go for Klaus and that's the end of it. Jin and I will handle Klaus while Damon deals with the young hybrids. Ric, you, Jeremy and Caroline will prep the Karillian for our passenger and get her ready to fly. I want us out of here as soon as possible."

Everyone just nodded, as she expected them to. After all, she had plenty of experience in ordering people to do her bidding and she had it down to an art form.

"Yes, Admiral," Jin inclined his head. "What about the scout?"

"Hopefully, we'll be out of here long before he finds us," Elena said. "Right, we need to get to the ship. We need to prepare. I'm not leaving anything to chance."

"What about me?" Bonnie asked softly. Elena turned to look at the witch and made an instant decision.

"This isn't your fight," she said curtly. Bonnie's face fell but Elena didn't have the time or patience to deal with the witch and her sensitivity.

"But I can help," Bonnie insisted half-heartedly. Elena just shook her head.

"Bonnie, you've never wanted this life. You wanted to be normal and I'm giving you that chance. My life is so far from what you call normal it's not funny. But we're going after Klaus, which means he'll never bother you again and then I'll be leaving. So, take this one opportunity and live the normal life you've always wanted," Elena told her.

Bonnie's eyes filled with tears but she nodded, seeing the wisdom in Elena's words. "Thank you and good-bye," she whispered. Elena watched Bonnie leave and felt relieved. At least she wouldn't have to worry about mediating conflicts between Bonnie and everyone else who was not remotely human anymore.

"So, we all set?" she asked and everyone stood, nodding.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Elena was standing with Damon in the armory of the Karillian while everyone else was being given a crash course in the basic functions of the ship, including the containment cells on the lower level. Jin was making sure everyone was fully aware of how to activate the containment field so they wouldn't have any surprises with Klaus.<p>

To be honest, she had been surprised at Damon's lack of reaction when he had seen the ship. Instead of staring at it in awe, as everyone else had done at first, he simply continued to glare at Jin's back. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if he started hissing and spitting soon. Now, he was simply glaring at her with narrowed eyes and she was starting to get pissed off at him.

"What the hell is your problem?" she bit out.

"Nothing," he snapped.

"Right! That's why you look ready to kill something."

Damon clenched his teeth tighter. He didn't want to overwhelm her, didn't want to push her too fast and too far but this was getting fucking ridiculous. He couldn't stand her being within a mile of the damned alien she was so comfortable around. They were constantly touching each other, a small tap on the back here, a light pull on the arm there and when Jin had held his hand out to help her down from the ledge of the tunnel and she took it, even though he had clearly seen she didn't need it, he had almost snapped. It had taken Jeremy, Caroline and Ric holding him back or he would have attacked the behemoth for touching his woman.

Luckily, Elena had been oblivious to what had happened. She had just smiled up at the behemoth with those soft lips and Damon had felt the urge to rip out the giant's eyeballs and eat them for lunch. A kick to the shin from Caroline had stopped him mid-growl. "If you don't stop acting like a caveman, you're going to fuck everything up and she'll have another reason to leave you behind," Caroline had hissed at him. The warning stopped him in his tracks and he swallowed hard, trying to bring himself under control.

Now that they were alone, Elena was giving him the cold shoulder again and it was starting to piss him off. "Well, maybe if you'd stop ignoring me, I wouldn't be pissed," he hissed.

"I'm not ignoring you," she replied coldly as she threw a shield generator at him, similar to the one Jeremy had worn. "Put this on," she said curtly.

Damon snorted. "Sure… I can feel the love from all the way over here," he smirked at her as he shrugged the vest on and watched with mild interest as it molded to his body. He was more interested in Elena and her reactions to him than any of the technological marvels he was seeing.

Elena gritted her teeth, trying hard to control her hormones. One more snarl, one more smirk from him and she was going to slap his face off. Right after she stuck her tongue down his throat.

"You're insane," Elena said with a small shrug.

"Kyt, we're pretty much ready to go," Jin's voice sounded over the intercom. When Elena's face softened upon hearing Jin's voice, Damon saw red. He stalked over to her, crowding her against the bulkhead.

"What is he to you and why does he call you that?" he growled at her.

Elena looked at him quizzically. "Because it's my name," she replied.

"Your name is Elena."

"My name is Elenadvi Kytaxa. Some call me Elena but those closest to me call me Kyt," she replied.

"So, again I ask. What is he to you? Is he your lover?" Damon demanded, spitting the word out as he slammed his fists against the bulkhead either side of her head in an attempt to quell the rage spiraling through him.

"No, Jin isn't my lover. He's just a very close friend," she said softly, looking into those arctic eyes that were spitting fire at the moment. Again, she tried to hide the trembling of her body. Damn it! She couldn't be within a mile of him without her body reacting to him, she thought, as arousal coursed through her veins.

Damon's eyes narrowed as he leaned down, his nose at the crook of her neck as he sniffed her. God, she smelled amazing, beneath the stench of the behemoth, he thought with a growl. He wanted to pick her up, shove her in the shower to wash off the smell of the giant and replace it with his own.

"You smell like him," he growled. "It's pissing me off."

"You're going to have to deal with it," she huffed, though her voice trembled as she dug her nails into her palms, trying to avoid reaching up and touching him. If he growled one more time, she wasn't going to be responsible for her actions. She was going to rip his clothes off and jump him.

Damon heard her heartbeats pick up speed as her breaths shortened. He grinned in the crook of her neck, making sure she didn't see him do it. So, she was just as affected by him as he was and the cold shoulder was just an act. That was good. Very good. He could work with that.

He nuzzled her ear. "You smell amazing," he purred in her ear, dropping his voice. Her small shiver made him feel like a conquering hero who had single-handedly decimated an entire army. "It makes me want to taste you all over. I want to taste every square inch of your delectable skin until the only scent you're wearing is mine and you scream in ecstasy, begging for more," he continued, his tongue slipping out to give her ear a small lick.

Elena was on fire. Her blood was singing in her veins and her body was demanding that she allow him to do exactly what he wanted. But the logical side of her still seemed to be in control and reminded her this wasn't right.

"Damon, stop," she said on a breathy moan.

"You don't sound so sure, Kyt," he purred as he crowded her even more, his body pressing hers against the bulkhead, his arousal fitting neatly in the crook of her thighs, which she had unconsciously opened. He felt like doing the victory dance. He could feel her fighting her desire but he'd take any small victory he could get.

Elena trembled. The feel of his body against hears, his hard cock digging into her as his breath made every nerve ending tingle almost floored her. But it was her name, the one from her other life, on his lips that made her resolve disappear in a puff of smoke. It was a sign that he had finally accepted her and suddenly, her passion overrode her logic and she groaned.

He drew back a little so he could look into her face and Elena felt the last vestiges of her control disappear. One hand grabbed hold of his shirt, the other cupped the back of his neck and she pulled him hard towards her, fusing her lips to Damon's very surprised ones.

Damon froze in astonishment at her aggressiveness but only for a millisecond. This was an opportunity he didn't intend to waste, especially since _she_ was kissing _him_. He had expected to have to woo her and gently bring her round to his way of thinking but this… While unexpected, it was a dream come true and he was no fool. The feel of her soft lips on his, her aggressive demand to be allowed entry into his mouth made his world spin.

He groaned with desperate need as he opened his mouth and she attacked him, licking his tongue, sweeping inside his mouth to explore every nook and cranny, even the roof of his mouth. Like everything between them, even their kiss was almost violent. A battle for dominance. One he fully intended to win.

Their mouths moved against each other, each one pushing harder and harder until he was afraid he'd hurt her. But when she growled and pulled him against her harder, hooking one leg around the back of his thigh, any form of logic vanished as sensations took over. He battled her tongue, pushing back so he could gain access to the sweet, warm cavern of her mouth. His hands grabbed hold of her ass and he dug his fingers in, pulling her tightly against him. He rubbed his erection against her core as lights exploded behind his eyelids. Shit! He wasn't going to embarrass himself and come in his pants! But when she trembled in his arms and he caught her moan in his mouth, he almost fell to his knees.

They pulled apart for a moment, staring at each other, both panting and shaking with desperate need, frozen for a moment in time.

"Kyt, you almost ready?" Jin's voice came over the intercom again. When he saw the haze of passion disappear from Elena's eyes to be replaced with regret, he almost snarled. He was going to kill the asshole. He really was.

She pushed him away from her and stood tall. "That was a mistake," she said curtly. "It can't happen again," she stated as she turned her back to him.

Damon might have felt hurt if he hadn't held her in his arms a moment before and listened to her body as it told him what he really wanted to know. Hell, he might have believed her if he didn't know exactly why she was trying to push him away. He might have given up if he thought she really didn't want him. But he knew better and he would break down every one of her defenses until she let him in.

So, he smirked and leaned down. "Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better," he whispered in her ear, delighted to see the small shiver wrack her body. "But we both know better." And with that he disappeared, leaving a very flustered, extremely aroused and highly frustrated Elena behind.

"Damn it!" she snarled at herself. She had been in heaven for a moment. She had forgotten about everything and everyone other than Damon and her need for him. But Jin's voice had broken her out of the haze of passion that had overridden all logic, reminding her why she needed to keep Damon at arm's length. She silently thanked the stars for Jin's intervention because otherwise Damon would have been buried deep inside her by now and then she couldn't have let him go, even if she wanted to.

In that moment, she came to a decision. She'd have to leave them all behind. While Damon was probably her greatest weakness, she couldn't take everyone else with her because they'd just remind her of what she had lost. Even Jeremy would be safer here, without her. So, they would grab Klaus and she and Jin would disappear. They would probably end up hating her, but it was the only way. Maybe she'd come back one day, when the Galaxy was free and if she survived.


End file.
